Save scumming? It's on my character sheet
by Xorn
Summary: Three months after his unwilling return to Earth, Natsuki Subaru spontaneously combusts. A number of deaths later, he joins the Chaldea Security Organization. And then dies some more. Save the world, Subaru. If you can manage that, then maybe, just maybe, you'll find a way back to that other world of yours.
1. Chapter 1

**1: It's always sunny in Chaldea - wait, no, that's fire.**

* * *

_-Base sequence: human genome confirmed_

_-Alignment: Chaotic-Evil_

_Welcome to the data center for the future of humankind. This is the Security Organization for the Preservation of Humanity, Chaldea._

_Fingerprint, voiceprint, and DNA authentication cleared. Magical Circuit assessment -_

_-Warning:_

_Severe ruptures detected within Magic Circuits. Depletion of Od will result in contamination of the Soul by Gaia due to Mana backflow. Please see Dr. Romani Archman for a more in-depth medical analysis._

_-Warning: _

_Excessive values of the Sixth Imaginary Factor detected within user. _

_Signs of Demonic Possession necessitate further scans._

_-Attempting to quantify user's existence…_

_-Warning: _

_User exists outside the domain. _

_User appears to have been marked by a god from another universe. _

_User's existence is heretical to the human order. _

_User is a [Threat to Humanity]._

_Attempting terminat-_

_Hooo... Tf iyhpu ayltislz…_

_Username matched._

_You are recognized as a member of the primates._

_Nice to meet you._

_You're our final visitor today._

_Welcome to Chaldea, Natsuki Subaru._

* * *

The word that best describes the interior of Chaldea is "clean". Not a single blemish to be found on its spotless white walls and ceiling. Bright fluorescent bulbs ensure that no shadow is cast.

Well, that's the walls and ceiling, anyway. The floor might be filthy for all I know. All I can really say about it from my current position is that it's surprisingly comfortable. What's a little less comfortable is the small squirrel-dog creature that apparently decided to take a nap on my chest while I was unconscious on the floor. Slowly, I attempt to lift him off of myself.

...Oi, there's no way he should be this hard to lift. He's lying on me, and I can tell that there's no way he weighs more than a kilogram or two. And yet, even with both hands, I can't make him budge.

"Ah! You're awake then, Senpai?" a familiar-sounding voice says. A voice I haven't heard since the day oh so long ago that I was returned to Earth. The day the life I had built from zero in another world was ripped away from me.

My head whips towards her, so quickly that I inadvertently pop my neck a bit. That's going to hurt later, but more importantly, that voice is..!

She's a teenage girl, maybe a year or two younger than me, wearing a miniskirt, sweater, and tights - and, looking closer, it seems she's wearing a button-up shirt under the miniskirt that she's attached her red necktie to. Her left eye is purple - I can't see her right eye, as it's covered by her silvery-purple hair, but presumably it's the same color.

"Senpai? Is something wrong?" the girl asks. Listening more closely, there's definitely a difference between them, but...

Her voice sounds almost exactly like Emilia's. Not to mention the similarity in eye and hair color, and the fact that her hair is covering the same eye that Rem's did.

"...That's so unfair," I mumble, trying to hold the tears back.

"...Senpai?"

"...It's nothing. Your voice just sounded like someone I knew. That's all," I reply.

"Ah," she replies, and looks away for a bit. I feel kind of guilty now...

"Anyway, I can't lift this guy for some reason. Can you help me get him off?" I ask, motioning to the sleeping squirrel-dog.

"...Eh? Fou-kun? Why are you sleeping on…?" She asks. "Um, I'll try, but… Fou-kun can be really stubborn, so…"

She shakes the critter, but it doesn't move at all.

"So!" I exclaim. "I'm Natsuki Subaru, forty-eighth master candidate! Nice to meet you!"

"Um, likewise! Mash Kyrielight, nice to meet you! And this strange creature is Fou-kun. Usually he doesn't like being around humans other than me, so I guess this makes you his second caretaker, Senpai. Congratulations!" She says with a stunningly pure smile.

...Mash-tan is cuuuuute!

"Roger! You can count on me, Mash-tan!" I say, giving her a thumbs up.

"Thank you, Senpai. Although, with you in that position…" She says, scratching her cheek.

"Heh. I guess it's hard to look reliable when you're pinned to the ground by a small animal, huh?" I chuckle.

Suddenly, Fou wakes up, springing to his feet, and scampers away.

"And there he goes, huh?" I ask, standing up.

"Yes, he does that sometimes. Just wanders around," she says with a small smile.

From behind me, I hear footsteps, and I turn to see - is that Robert E. O. Speedwagon!?

"Ah, there you are, Mash. That won't do, you know, wandering about without permission…" He says with a smile and nearly closed eyes. Hang on, "without permission"? Are these guys keeping cute Mash-tan as some kind of prisoner? That's no good, you know! Don't make me die at you a whole bunch, Chaldea! I'll do it, don't test me!

"Oh, someone's already with you? You're…" He mutters, and as his eyes fall over me I feel vaguely uneasy. Ugh. Magi give me the creeps. I've died for their shitty experiments enough times, thanks. Still, I put on a brave face and smile.

"Natsuki Subaru! Master candidate forty-eight! Nice to meet you."

"Oh! You're that one with the absurdly high master affinity!" he says, snapping his fingers. "I knew I'd seen your face in our files. Really, it's a shame you didn't apply earlier. If we'd had the time to give you proper training, we might have been able to replace Gut with you!"

He laughs, and Mash gives a faint chuckle. "Oh, by the way, if you do meet Beryl, don't tell him I said that. He'll probably try to kill you if you do." If this Beryl guy wasn't presumably a magus, I'd assume he was exaggerating, but that sounds exactly like the sort of petty stuff a magus might murder me over.

"R-right." I say with a nervous chuckle.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Subaru-kun. I'm Lev Lainur, one of the technicians here at Chaldea. We're a bit low on time, so let's hurry on over to the command room. The director is about to give the orientation."

* * *

Chaldea's director is a real piece of work. Olga-Marie Animusphere is only a few years older than me at the most, and yet she's in charge of this whole facility. She's got a sense of pride to her, but… there's also a quiet sort of desperation. She's well aware of how precarious her position is. In the cutthroat world of Magi, youth means inexperience, which means easy pickings. Just because she's the superior of a number of people older than her, doesn't mean she's in a secure position; rather, it means that there's a target on her back.

The upshot of this is that the orientation is something like fifty percent magibabble and fifty percent her trash-talking all the candidates in some sort of attempt to bully them into line. All the verbal assault makes it a bit tough to pay attention until she finally gets into explaining our big problem.

A singularity. Someone has been messing around with time travel, and if the distortion in Fuyuki City in 2004 isn't corrected, modern humanity will cease to exist.

Well, that explains why I keep spontaneously combusting around two hours from now. I'm not sure how they keep failing to fix it, but this is _definitely _the reason it's happening. Well, you know what they say - if you want something done right, do it yourself.

* * *

A few hours later, all forty-eight master candidates - along with Mash, for some reason? - are loaded up into the so-called "coffins". Not exactly the best name for a device that's supposed to keep people alive.

Yeah, it's not as big of a surprise as it should be when the entire rayshift room explodes.

My coffin is one of the two closest to the explosion, and I'm catapulted out of the thing, sent flying across the room. Well, my upper half is, anyway. The coffin neatly severed my waist from my upper body as it folded under the pressure of the blast. I arc through the air, organs trailing out behind me like a spark trail from a demented firework.

Time seems to slow down as through the glass of the command room, I see Olga-Marie Animusphere's horrified face as her flesh and bone is melted into a fine red mist. I see the various technicians reduced to charred corpses, embedded with glass, surviving the fire only to be turned into swiss cheese by shrapnel. Lev doesn't even have time to react - he's still smiling at our successful launch even as his body is reduced to ash.

Finally, my dying torso hits the ground with a wet flop, bouncing once, twice, before lying still. It _really _hurts. It hurts so much. I've had worse, but this is up there in the top twenty at least. Doesn't help that I can feel the fire licking at my waist, cauterizing my wounds. It's going to take a while for me to finally die.

Above my head, I can hear the automated announcement rambling some stuff about the rayshift, but that doesn't really matter right now.

A few meters away, I see Mash, everything from her waist down pinned beneath a massive slab of rock. She's still alive, for now. Unfortunately, I've been flattened before - something on that level is definitely unsurvivable.

It really doesn't matter. The most sensible move would be to accelerate my own death so I don't have to suffer any longer. She won't remember this after the reset, after all.

But… as I look at her, lying there, crying. I just can't bring myself to abandon her.

Luckily, I do have a way to accelerate my transport. In the time since I returned to earth, I got a bit better at using the authorities I inherited from the Archbishops that I had killed. And so, forming a pair of extra hands with my [Invisible Providence], I crawl over to Mash and flop myself down next to her.

"Yo, Mash-tan." I say with a forced grin.

"...Ah… Senpai… Y-your legs are…" she mutters, eyes widening.

"Don't worry. It'll be alright. Just think about different things for now, okay? Like, do you have any dreams for the future, Mash-tan?" I reply. As I do so, I activate the authority I got from the Archbishop of Greed, using [Cor Leonis] to siphon Mash's pain into myself. Ultimately, it doesn't change much - luckily for me, most of her injuries are on the half of my body that was severed, so I can't actually feel the transferred pain.

"Mm. That's… alright. I think that, one day, I want… to see the outside world. I grew up inside Chaldea, so I've never been able to go anywhere else." She says with a faint smile.

"Alright. We'll go there together, okay, Mash-tan? Everywhere you want to go. I promise," I say, forcing out another smile.

"Mm." She replies with a smile and a nod. "Senpai… I'm cold. Can I hold your hand?"

"Yeah."

I grasp her hand tightly, and she closes her eyes, her breathing slowing.

Mine is too, and pretty soon I can hear the whispers of the witch as darkness shrouds my vision and her rands reach out for me. There's a faint dragging sensation, and then...

* * *

**Author's notes:**

**1\. The readings at the beginning are influenced by the Witch tagging along with Subaru. Which readings are influenced, and to what extent, I'm leaving to reader interpretation.**

**2\. The gibberish in the middle of the login process is a caesarian cipher that decodes to "Ahhh... My brain trembles..."**

**3\. Mash sounds like Emilia. This is a voice actor joke(? Does it count as a joke if half of its existence is to make Subaru suffer?).**

**4\. Subaru may be subconsciously treating Mash as a replacement Emilia. This is definitely unhealthy behavior, and I don't recommend doing such things in your own life.**

**5\. Did they get rayshifted, or did Subaru die? Who knooooows! (I'm leaving it open until the next chapter to give myself wiggle room).**

**6\. This story may or may not be an excuse to give filler servants a chance to shine. Eric Bloodaxe may actually kill someone in this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**2: You seem trustworthy.**

* * *

I lurch in place, muscles spasming a bit and eyes shooting wide open as I'm thrust back into my body. In my ears I can hear the echoes of _something _\- a crooning, haunting song, as if from the mouth of a banshee. My heart clenches up as the witch's miasma settles around my frame.

"Fou!"

The faint pressure on my chest increases as Fou jumps to his feet - it seems my reset point finally changed again. I've been looping back to the day of my return to Earth for a while now, but that seems to no longer be the case.

From his perch atop me, Fou kicks his feet a bit and shakes his fur like a dog trying to dry off, his nose crinkling. That's the [Witch Factor] for you.

"Fou kyu!" he yips angrily at me.

"Hey, I don't control it, so don't blame me." I say, shaking my head as the critter scurries up to my shoulder, allowing me to sit up. Huh, is he less heavy when he's awake? That's odd.

"Ah! You're awake then, Senpai?" Mash says from behind me. "I don't really see why you'd sleep in the hall, though… could it be that you're the type of person who can't sleep unless he's on a hard bed?"

I turn to look at her, standing and stretching as I do so. "Nah. While I've gotten used to sleeping in all kinds of weird places, my favorite was actually a fluffy Western-style bed that I used for a while." The beds at Roswaal's manor were really something else. Honestly, I wouldn't put it past the guy to have invented some kind of spell to make them that fluffy. He sure as hell had the time.

"Anyway, sorry if I got in your way or something. That weird scanner thing at the entrance knocked me out cold." I say with a chuckle.

"Oh! Yes, I've heard it can do that to people who don't have much experience using their magic circuits… still, I suppose that makes you the newest Master candidate?"

"Yes! Master Candidate number forty-eight, Natsuki Subaru, reporting for duty!" I say, giving a mock salute.

"Fou!" protests the little dog-squirrel as he scrabbles to maintain his perch on my shoulder.

"Oi, you're the one who chose to sit up there. What did you expect, for me to just not use my arms?" I retort.

"Huh. Fou-kun is being really friendly with you, Senpai. Did you have some kind of treat stored away in your pockets for him?" Mash asks curiously.

"No, he just decided all on his own that I'm his seat now." I say with a shake of my head. "Well, it's not like I'm not used to it. Just about every animal I've met has either decided that they love me or that they want me dead on first sight. Glad it's the former with this little guy."

I pet his head a little, and then his head abruptly snaps to the left as he gives a little sniff. A split second later, he leaps to the floor and scurries away. "...And there he goes. What a strange creature." I mutter.

Mash gives a small smile. "Yes, he does that sometimes. Just wanders around."

From behind us, I hear footsteps. "Ah, there you are, Mash. That won't do, you know, wandering about without permission…" says Lev.

* * *

A brief introduction later, Lev makes to lead us to the command room. But… Now would probably be the best time to try the direct approach, right?

"Professor Lev. Mash. Can you hold up for a second? I have something important to tell you guys." I say.

Lev glances at his watch. "We've got a few minutes to spare. What's the issue, Subaru-kun?"

I sigh. This is going to be a tough sell. "Listen, I know this will sound crazy. And absolutely can't share how I know this. But… someone has planted a bomb - or maybe multiple bombs - in the command room. They'll go off just before the Rayshift, and kill just about everyone in the room."

Lev's squinting eyes snap wide open with shock. Mash jumps a bit as her eyes also widen. She starts to open her mouth to speak, but Lev cuts her off.

"Mash, go inform the director. We can't afford to take chances with the future of humanity. I'll take Subaru-kun to an interrogation room." He orders. Oi, I already told you I can't share much information, though.

"R-right! Um, please don't be too hard on him, Professor. I can tell, Senpai isn't a dangerous person."

He nods. "Hurry, Mash."

"Right!" She says, and runs off towards the command room.

Lev turns to me, giving a light sigh. "Well, this was unexpected. Now then, Subaru-kun..." His eyes glow a sickly yellow, and my mind goes blank.

* * *

Warm liquid is sprayed across my face, the scent of copper flooding my nostrils as I snap out of my trance. I rapidly assess my surroundings. What..?

I almost vomit as the sight in front of me registers in my brain. At first, I had thought I had been moved into some section of the facility with red hallways. But that wasn't the case. No, this red was…

The corpse can barely be called a corpse. It's been flayed to pieces, muscle and skin stripped from bone, organs mangled and split open. And lying across the whole mess, a tangle of translucent blue threads, only barely visible. Not quite here, not in the same way the rest of the body is.

During my attempts to find out the source of the worldwide spontaneous combustion of all humanity later today, I had at one point been kidnapped by a Magus. A Necromancer, to be precise. He took great pleasure in explaining how magic on earth worked to me, even as he extracted my magic circuits from my flesh.

Anyway, as a result of that mess, I could identify the blue threads scattered across the hallway. The witch dissected Lev Lainur, removing every single magic circuit from his body. He had gone and hypnotized me into revealing the secret of [Return by Death], and she'd torn him to pieces in response.

Even as my mind whirls, trying to find a way to explain this to Mash-tan and the Director, I hear a voice emanate from nowhere. "**Ugh. We had anticipated action from the Counter Force." **

Lev's magic circuits swirl, spasming and coalescing into a dark red sphere, hovering in midair. No. Not a sphere. An eye, with a cross-shaped pupil. "**But to think it would go this far… to draw in a god from another world. No, not even a god. That being… she's closer to the [Beast] of another world, isn't she?"**

"What…" I mutter. "...Professor Lev, is that you? Are you-?"

The eye growls. "**Lev is, for all intents and purposes, dead. And as I cannot persist without his body intact, I will have to make use of your ability."**

...Wait, is this guy about to-!?

"**Incineration Ritual: Flauros."**

I don't even see the attack coming. There's no projectile, no sign of heat. Simply, for a brief instant, my vision is filled with flames. And then there's darkness, and the whispers of the Witch as she reaches out for me. There's a faint dragging sensation, and then…


	3. Chapter 3

**3: Sometimes, video games are informative.**

* * *

I shudder as I'm shoved back into my body again. It's still a bit disorienting, waking up on the floor like this. Not counting my suicides to try to get back to Lugnica, I reset to the point of my return to Earth somewhere around twenty times - it wasn't exactly _easy _finding Chaldea. To start with, I didn't even know magic was a thing on Earth until I got assassinated by a Magus for revealing the existence of magic in a desperate bid to get people to pay attention to my warnings about the event I call [Apocalypse Conflagration].

That is, 4:27 PM, July 30th, 2015.

The day and time the world ends. The day and time every human being on the planet suddenly spontaneously combusts. The day and time Chaldea's command room explodes.

The day and time Mash Kyrielight dies a painful death.

...All that aside, the point I'm getting at is that I'm badly out of practice when it comes to short [Return by Death]s. The day I returned to Earth was the same day I left - May 24th, 2015 - and that gave me a solid three months between my "save point" and [Apocalypse Conflagration]. I've had plenty of time to get used to being given time to think things out, and now I'm struggling to keep everything straight.

And so, after a brief introduction to Mash, Fou, and Lev that goes about the same as the two before, while I'm sitting in the command room and listening to a briefing from the Director that I already heard in my first loop, I start to think.

...Let's start with what I know.

One: [Apocalypse Conflagration] happens at the same time that the command room explodes. Considering the globe that Olga Marie said showed the future of humanity turned into a big fireball after the explosion, I'd say that's solid evidence this singularity thing is the cause.

Two: The command room explodes. Why? [Apocalypse Conflagration] causes _people _to spontaneously combust, not structures. At least, not from what I've seen of the three seconds my vision continues after it begins. And furthermore, Mash and I were killed by injuries due to the explosion, not the spontaneous combustion.

Is Chaldea Terminator-proofed? Do they have some system preventing [Apocalypse Conflagration] from affecting those inside the facility? It _would _make sense for an organization with the ability to travel back in time to fix timeline shenanigans to have proofed itself against said timeline shenanigans. But, whoever is responsible knew about that, and sabotaged the facility with bombs. That would make sense.

To begin with, if Chaldea can travel back in time to fix the damaged past, that also implies that it can travel back in time to damage the past. That provides the method for the culprit. Or, one half of the method, anyway. They still had to figure out a way to set every human being on the planet on fire from within a small Japanese city in 2004, but I'll just chalk that up to magic and move on.

Three: If it's local sabotage, are the explosions from magecraft or from bombs? They came out of the floor, so it had to be one of the two, but I can't tell which. Does it matter which? The end result is the same, and my first action should be to figure out a way to get everyone out of the command room regardless. Which brings me to…

Four: Getting people to believe me without telling them about [Return by Death]. The key problem is that a magus like Lev can just hypnotize me and force me to blab, so-

My thoughts are abruptly cut off as a hand impacts my cheek.

"Ow! What-?" I start

"Oh don't you dare start acting innocent now! Staring off into the distance and ignoring everything I was saying, are you looking down on me?" shouts Olga Marie Animusphere.

"Ah, sorry, it's actually-" I start to explain myself, but she cuts me off.

"Ugh, I don't want to hear it. I can't even stand to look at your face any longer. Someone get this idiot out of here!"

* * *

"Sorry about that, Senpai. I totally forgot, the Simulator in the entrance tends to make people sleepy. I should have made sure you weren't going to pass out before you went to sit down," Mash says apologetically.

I shake my head. "Don't worry about it. In the first place, it wasn't drowsiness or anything like that, it was-"

"Fou!" yells a small white blur as it latches onto my face.

"Oi! Get off me! Ridley Scott will sue, you know!" I shout as I grapple with the squirrel-dog.

Mash giggles. "Don't worry, Senpai. As far as we can tell, Fou-kun is not an alien spider creature. He just enjoys jumping onto people's faces - well, usually he only jumps on _my_ face, but he seems to have taken a liking to you as well, Senpai."

Fou scurries around the back of my neck and settles on my shoulder. "So it seems," I say with a forced smile. "Anyway, since I've been left out of the first mission… um, what should I do with myself?"

"...I'm not really sure," Mash replies. "We didn't have any protocols for something like this."

I chuckle. "Really? With the Director's personality, I'd have thought kicking out Master candidates would be expected."

"Mm… well, the previous director was supposedly a much more agreeable person. I haven't had much interaction with either myself, though." she says with a small shrug. "For now, I guess I can lead you to your room - but after that I've got to get back to the command room."

"Ah, come to think of it, you're not one of the Master candidates… what kind of job do you do, Mash-tan?" I ask. After all, if it's at all possible, I'd like to find a way to keep her out of the command room when the bombs go off. I'm almost certain that this loop is a bust, but that doesn't mean I want to let her get hurt if I can stop it.

"Well... I'm currently the only successful result of the Demi-Servant program. That is to say, I'm one of the two Servants already summoned by Chaldea - at least on paper," Mash says nervously.

"On paper?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Yes, well, in theory the summoned servant was supposed to possess me, allowing them to permanently manifest. But the servant instead chose not to retain control of my body" She says with a shrug. "I think they saw it as inhumane to remain in control."

"You think!?"

"Um, yes. Anyway, that means I'm not actually very useful as a combatant, but presumably whoever was summoned will transform me from human to demi-servant when that becomes necessary."

"Are you a magical girl!?"

"I... suppose that's not inaccurate." She says, trailing off and glancing away. Then, her posture straightens again as she locks eyes with me. "Anyway, I'm technically a member of the A-team, so I'll have to hurry back afterwards, but I should have time for a quick trip to the dorms if we're quick about it, senpai."

"Oi, the Director mentioned that those A-team guys are kind of a huge deal - if that's the case, wouldn't you be _my_ senpai?" I ask as we start walking. I hadn't really questioned it before - Mash is younger than me, and it doesn't seem like Japanese is her first language - but if she's part of that elite squad including the Wodime guy everyone at Clock Tower was so hyped up about, she's gonna be pretty let down if she expects me to be some kind of helpful upperclassman.

"No, I'm not talking about our status as coworkers. Rather, you're more my senpai when it comes to 'being human'" she explains.

"...Being human, huh?" I don't really want to get too much into that one.

"Yes. Um, how should I put this… you seem very harmless." she says.

"I'm not sure if I should find that offensive or not…"

* * *

Of course, Mash isn't wrong. Natsuki Subaru is a weak person who can't do a thing without the help of his friends. Excluding [Invisible Providence] and [Return by Death], everything I can do relies on allies to help me out.

That's right. What I need is an ally. Someone who can get everyone out of the command room when the bombs go off, without me ending up hypnotized and blabbing about [Return by Death].

...Come to think of it, what was up with that, anyway? Lev had… something… living in his magic circuits. A demon, I think, given the reference to Flauros. Flauros is some kind of mythical demon, yeah? Shin Megami Tensei and Disgaea wouldn't lie to me, right? And if that weird eye thing was inside Lev's magic circuits…

...Is this that so-called "Demonic Possession"? Do I have to find a way to kick a cat demon out of Lev's body? _Can _it be kicked out of his body?

I contemplate these things as I watch Mash leave. My room is next door to the cafeteria, just a short walk into the dorms, so that'll be nice after I get a chance to advance past my first day here.

But for right now, considering there doesn't seem to be anyone else nearby, I guess I'll use Natsuki Subaru's special move!

I pull out my phone and call someone who's not completely clueless.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'm back. It's been a month. I'd like to say I did something important in that time, but that would be a lie.**

**Bit of an introspective chapter here, with Subaru getting his thoughts in order. I'm not super proud of it, but it leads into actual plot progression, so there's that.**

**I thought about cutting after the call, but that would likely drag on the time to next update by another month at my current pace. Gonna put it out now in the hopes that I can get back on the horse so to speak. Current plan is to try to get the next one out by Monday. I've got things moving now so hopefully it comes easier.**


	4. Chapter 4

**4: Making friends is important**

* * *

Incidentally, coming to Chaldea hadn't been my idea in the first place. Frankly speaking, I had no idea what I was getting into here. I was told that if I joined Chaldea, I'd likely meet someone who could get me back to Lugnica, but…

"This is the Wizard Marshal," he says as he answers the phone.

"Oi, old man, I can't help but feel like I've been tricked into accepting a job way outside my pay grade here," I say immediately.

"Hmph. Did you expect the path to reach 'another world' to be an easy one, Subaru-kun? You told me you were prepared to suffer madness or death if that's what was necessary to get there, but clearly that was all bravado if you can't handle something on this level," the Magician replies.

That's right. To start with, I had approached this old man, because he supposedly had the ability to "control parallel worlds", only to learn -

"_Are you stupid? What you're talking about isn't a parallel world. Aren't you a high schooler? You ought to know what the word 'parallel' means. That world isn't running along what could be called a similar course to ours by any measure. Rather than a 'parallel' world, isn't it obvious that such a place would be 'another' world?"_

\- it was like that. Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg had no ability to transport me back to Lugnica. It was completely outside his wheelhouse. To start with most 'other' worlds were so alien to humanity that it was considered 'heretical' to even try to reach them. According to the Old Man-

"_Even that Foreigner you've got following you around won't be able to protect you from the things you might find if you go poking around in 'other' worlds without a guide. That time travel trick of yours - quit gawking, it would be hard _not _to realize what you were doing with my unique perspective - that trick probably won't work in places where time doesn't _exist_."_

And so, I got pointed towards Chaldea, because supposedly there would be someone who could bring me to Lugnica here. However…

"Look, Old Man, I'm just confused. Because you implied that I'd find a way back to that 'other world' in Chaldea, but this place is pretty thoroughly focused on this world." I complain.

He laughs. "Well, that self-proclaimed 'Gentleman Who Travels Through Time and Space' will turn up, in about two-and-a-half years."

"Oi, that's an important detail you left out!"

"Hah! I suppose you'll just have to save the world first, if you want to get home!" the man laughs.

"Do it yourself, dammit! Aren't you supposed to be some big shot sorcerer!?"

"I wish I could." He says, laughter stopping abruptly. "Unfortunately, the one responsible for the Incineration of Humanity is a [Beast], one of the seven [Evils of Humanity]. It can't be truly defeated, not by something like me."

"...Since you're a Vampire, yeah?"

"Correct. Rather than myself, the one best for the job would be a [Perfectly Ordinary Human Being]. However, since this timeline is lacking a unique existence like that, you'll have to fill in." Zelretch says.

I sigh. "Right. Can you actually tell me anything useful about the guy responsible? Or is this something we humans are gonna have to do on our own?"

"Sorry, but my hands are tied."

"Figures."

"...Of course, there's still time for you to reconsider my offer. Between your abilities and mine, we'd certainly have the time-" The Wizard Marshal says.

"I refuse." I interject. "Like I said, I've got no intention of returning to Emilia-tan's side as a totally different person. It'd be one thing if it was my only way back, but you already told me that's not the case."

"...It's good that you've got your eyes on the right prize, I guess. I was a bit worried about that 'witch' of yours, but If you've got an answer like that… you'll probably be alright. Good luck Subaru-kun. Humanity is counting on you." He says- and then, without letting me get another word in, he hangs up.

* * *

Well, that was a waste of time. I've got, what, twelve minutes until the bombs go off now? This timeline's no good, huh? I sigh as I open the door to my room-

"Okay, I'm in here - wait? Whaaat? Who are you?" Cries a distressed orange-haired man in green medical scrubs. "This is an empty room! It's where I slack off! Who gave you permission to come in?"

"Er… Master candidate forty-eight, Natsuki Subaru. I was told this was my room, but I guess Mash got it wrong?" I say, caught a little off guard by the man's brazen declaration.

He sighs. "Dr. Romani Archaman, head of Chaldea's medical staff. A lot of people just call me Roman, though. Apparently it's easier to say. You're in the right place. I just figured I'd have a chance to eat one last slice of cake in my secret slacking spot while everyone was busy setting up for the rayshift."

"Well, you would have been fine, but I got kicked out during the briefing because I wasn't paying attention, so…" I say, rubbing the back of my head. This is kind of awkward, huh..?

"Just got here, and you're already on the director's bad side, huh? Well, that means we're alike. I got yelled at too, just so you know. 'Romani, when you're here, everyone slacks off!' She said that, and kicked me out." He says. His Olga Marie impression is surprisingly accurate… How long did he spend practicing that? "Anyway, this is what you call a blessing in disguise, right? Since we've both got nowhere to go, how about we spend some time and deepen our friendship?"

I chuckle. Considering the time remaining until [Apocalypse Conflagration], we wouldn't exactly be able to-

Wait. Romani is on the medical staff. And he's a doctor, so presumably he went to medical school, not the Clock Tower. He can't hypnotize me. So maybe, just maybe…

"Actually, Roman…" I pause, trying to figure out a way to word it. Finally, I sigh. "I can't tell you how I know this, and I know it's gonna sound crazy, but in about eight minutes-"

He gasps. "Disaster, right!? You had a premonition too!? Do you have any idea how to stop whatever it is?" Wait, he already knows!?

"You already know!?" I shout.

"Just the barebones- I knew it was sometime this year, but I didn't realize it was today until just now, and I don't have a clue what it is!" He says.

"Okay, so in about eight minutes every human on the planet is going to spontaneously combust. I'm pretty sure it's related to Singularity F. But Chaldea is protected from it for some reason-!" I explain.

"So we can fix it! Thank God..!" Roman says.

"Except there's a second problem. Whoever our culprit is, they've planted bombs - or some kind of bomb-like magecraft - in the command room." I interject, and his eyes widen.

"What!? Who would even do such a thing!? Sabotaging the survival of humanity is-!" He says.

"...Lev. There's something living inside his magic circuits. That one cat demon - from the Lesser Key of Solomon, I think - Flauros. Or at least, something capable of casting a spell dependent on that name." I say, hoping desperately that he buys it.

Dr. Roman stares at me as if I've grown a second head. "How could you possibly- no, there's no time. We've got to hurry."

And with that, we sprint off down the hallway.

* * *

Dr. Roman manages to keep pace with me despite not looking like an athletic guy. I get a little ahead of him, but it's a difference of about thirty seconds. I stand outside the command room - because there's no way I'm barging in ahead of him - and grasp around as far as I can reach under the floor with [Invisible Providence].

Roman opens the door and yells. "Everyone out of the command room! There's-!"

Lev immediately pulls out a detonator and presses the button.

It would have been impossible, if I was still the same Natsuki Subaru who was thrust back to Earth a year and a half ago. At that time, [Invisible Providence] was barely usable - a single hand, with tiny range and a sluggish pace, that wracked my body with pain every time I used it. However, in the time since I returned to Earth…

I grew used to it. Or perhaps, I grew an affinity for "Sloth". The ability that I inherited from Petelgeuse was manageable now, at least to the point that I could use a single hand without destroying my body. And so, just in time, the Unseen hand closes around the bomb-!

I manage to contain a scream of pain about as well as [Invisible Providence] manages to contain the explosion - a few jets of fire escaping my fingers, but the main body of the explosion is deflected away from the command staff.

So. if a bomb goes off in the grasp of one of my invisible hands, I still feel the associated pain that the bomb would have caused my real hand - but the hand itself is undamaged. Good to know.

Lev is reduced to ash - or perhaps he just used some sort of teleportation? The explosion didn't look like it hit him.

Further explosions rock the facility, with several of the coffins below taking direct hits.

[Cor Leonis].

"Doctor, Mash just got ejected from her coffin. She's injured. I'm going to go try to help her," I say. "You see what you can do up here."

"Right. We'll talk later." He says, applying pressure to Olga Marie's left arm - or rather, the stump of it. I deflected the blast as best as I could, but… there are still plenty of people dead and injured.

* * *

The lower level of the command room, where the Rayshifts take place, is a mess. Fallen debris and flames make it near impossible to navigate, but slowly, using [Cor Leonis] as my guide, I make my way to where Mash has been trapped under a massive slab of stone.

_System switching to the final phase of rayshift. Coordinates, AD 2004, January, 30th, Fuyuki, Japan._

The automated announcement is still talking as if the rayshift is going to happen, but I really doubt that. Surely we don't have enough power.

"...Oh."

Finally, I find Mash. She's in bad shape, though…

"Hang in there! Dr. Roman is just upstairs, so..!" I say, activating [Invisible Providence]. Unfortunately, one hand alone is too hazardous - dropping the slap of rock on her a second time is game over for sure. I'll have to use my second hand - which means taking the damn [Penalty]. I was pretty excited a few loops back, when I stopped being put in excruciating pain for brief usage of my first hand, but the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Gritting my teeth to ignore the pain, I'm able to get enough leverage to lift the slab off of her. Luckily, for all it lacks in speed, [Invisible Providence] doesn't seem to have much of an upper limit in what it can lift, allowing me to get Mash out.

"Eh… that was..?"

I lift her into a princess carry - ugh, but she's heavy. I lost a lot of the muscle I had built up in Lugnica when I got kicked back to Earth, so it's a bit of a pain. Slowly I trudge back towards the door.

The _closed _door.

"Are you serious right now?" I mutter.

And then, golden particles, emanating from _somewhere_, fill the air around us. What the hell is-?

_Rayshift starting in 3, 2, 1…_

It still had enough power!?

_All procedures clear. First Order, commencing operation_.

And then, the world dissolves into a tunnel of blue light...

* * *

**A/N: ****Well, it may not be Monday in my time zone anymore, but I haven't slept yet and it's still Monday in some places, so deadline met!**

**This chapter got a bit sloppy in some places, and I cheated a bit with the timing of things - realistically speaking if I hadn't messed with the canon time clock subaru probably could have gotten Mash out of the command room, but that would mess things up so let's not.**

**Subaru knows Zelretch! He basically brute-forced his way into a conversation with the guy upon learning about the kscope. The old man will not appear again until post Temple of Time (if then), so don't worry about bad fanon infiltrating the story too much.**

**Speaking of bad fanon, did you know that in Kagetsu Tohya, Nasu says Zelretch is "similar to Jotaro Kujo"? Drawing from this, Zel is a bit more serious in this story than a lot of fanfic depictions of him. He's still supposed to be someone who "laughs at do-gooders" though, so there's some mild trollish elements present. Hopefully if he ever makes more than a cameo appearance in canon, this depiction will be at least somewhat accurate.**

**Subaru and Romani get along pretty well, though Barasu is still slightly mildly ruffled by his name (loud Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti noises in the distance).**

**Next chapter by Friday hopefully.**


	5. Chapter 5

**5: Flame Contaminated City - Fuyuki**

* * *

"Please wake up, Senpai!" says Mash, and my eyes immediately snap open to see her standing above me, wearing an outfit that _could_ be called armor, if one was feeling extremely charitable. Is this that rumored Servant transformation of hers? I can feel the telltale connection of a contract between us, so that seems to be the case. Regardless, it's apparently healed what were almost certainly going to be lethal wounds, so I'm not complaining.

Although, speaking of wounds, the injuries I sustained from [Cor Leonis] and the penalty for using two invisible hands aren't here either? Was it the rayshift that healed us? Gingerly, I attempt to sit up, and then to stand up.

"Huh. I'm not injured. Did you heal me or something, Mash-tan?" I ask, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Um, no, you were like this when I woke up. But that's not important right now! First, we need to deal with these guys!" she says, addressing the four skeletons that appear to be surrounding us, wielding medieval weapons.

"Mm. Yeah, those are definitely enemies. I've never fought skeletons before, and I don't have my weapon of choice on me, but I'll do my best!" I say. One rushes me with a spear, but before I can even react, Mash is in front of me, bludgeoning it with a large shield forcefully enough to shatter the spear and the skeleton's arms in a single blow. "...Or you could take care of it. Hey, Mash-tan, could it be you're actually some kind of top-secret experimental super-soldier?"

"Despite our shared choice in weapons, I am not Captain America." She says with a straight face. "This is just the result of the Demi-Servant transformation - I'm not normally this strong."

"...G-good to know, I guess." I reply, caught off guard at the utterly _serious _way she delivered the first part of that response. "You know, the way you explained it earlier I was thinking the Demi-Servant thing was supposed to be more along the lines of possession - but it seems your personality is intact."

"Mm. Shielder - that's his class, apparently - said that he was giving me his power, and then left," Mash says with a small frown even as she annihilates another two skeletons in a single blow of her shield. "Sorry, but I won't be as useful as a full servant."

"No, I think you're doing just fine." I say with a nervous chuckle as the final skeleton is reduced to a fine white powder. "Mash-tan is probably cuter than some stuffy knight anyway, so this is actually the ideal result."

"I feel like cuteness shouldn't be relevant when calculating combat effectiveness, though…" Mash says, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks.

"Nope. Cuteness is extremely important! I won't be able to fight to my best if all my allies are stuffy old men, you know?" I say, nodding sagely.

"No, Senpai, you're the Master, so you shouldn't be fighting in the first place..."

Before I can retort, a blue hologram appears in between us. "Alright, I got through! This is the Chaldea Command room. Do you read me?" Says Dr. Roman through brief bursts of static.

"A-Team auxiliary support, Mash Kyrielight. I've completed the shift to Singularity F, accompanied by Natsuki Subaru. Both of our minds and bodies are intact. Rayshift and Master compatibility are both satisfactory, so please register Subaru as an official researcher."

"So Subaru is there as well, huh? I'm glad neither of you 'lost your existence'." Romani says, nodding to himself. "However… Mash! What's up with that outfit? It's shameless! I didn't raise you to dress like that!"

"Oh for the love of… Romani, get out of the way! Isn't it obvious she's become a Demi-Servant?" Director Olga Marie yells, shoving the Doctor out of the camera.

"Director! You shouldn't be active right now! You just lost a lot of blood, so-!"

"Shut up, Romani. I'll rest when I can be sure everything is under control." She snaps back, before turning her attention to me. "And you, the one who wasn't paying attention during my speech! Of course it's _you_ we've got to work with. How did you manage to form a contract with Mash? Only a top tier Magus should be able to do something like that on the fly!"

"If you're talking about the contract itself, I'm pretty sure it was Mash who formed it. It was in place when I woke up." I say with a shrug, and the Demi-Servant gives a small nod in response. "As for actually maintaining it, I've got a high affinity for Spirits, and I'm still full on MP, so it's not that surprising."

"MP..." the director says with a scandalized look. "Our only hope is someone who refers to his mana reserves as 'MP'..."

* * *

A few minutes of briefing later, we discovered the connection was cutting out, and Mash and I were sent to go secure a nearby leyline so we could summon another Servant. Slowly, we made our way through the smoldering ruins of Fuyuki.

Fuyuki isn't a city. Cities are places where people gather, where commerce takes place, where men and women live their lives. Cities are places where children are born, where animals are raised as pets, and where NEETs go out at two AM to buy cup ramen.

Fuyuki isn't a city. There aren't people here. There aren't streetlights, or cars, or trains - or at least none that are still functional. The only living souls here are myself, Mash, and the occasional band of roaming skeletons.

...I really hate places like this. This empty ruin, filled with suffocating silence apart from the omnipresent crackling of flames. I can tell, after all - that there's a reason we haven't heard a single scream in a disaster zone that should by all rights be full of screaming civilians.

Everyone here is already dead. And considering how much of the former city is still actively burning, it probably wasn't the fire that killed them.

The leyline site is pretty nondescript. Just down the street from an intersection, a few meters away from the center of one of the many craters pockmarking the ground in this city. There were a few more skeletons wandering around the place, but they're no match for Mash.

"Can't say I've got any experience with summoning rituals like this, so you're going to have to walk me through it," I say.

"Right. Luckily, I was trained to memorize the summoning procedures, so that shouldn't be a problem." Mash replies, and slowly we construct the summoning circle.

* * *

"Alright. That should do it. We'll need a catalyst, though… my shield will have to do." Mash mutters to herself, moving to lay down her shield in the center of the circle.

...I've got a bad feeling about this. "Is that a good idea? Your shield is our only weapon after all. We'll be sitting ducks during the summoning ritual."

"You're not wrong, Senpai. But the only enemies we've met so far are skeletons, and I should be able to fend them off with my fists for the five minutes the ritual takes." She replies.

I'm still uneasy, but I nod silently. She puts her shield down, positioning it along several expertly drawn lines in the circle.

"Right. Repeat after me. Let silver and steel be the essence…" she starts, and then pauses.

"..." I gurgle. Something thuds into the ground to my left, and as my eyes move towards it, I see that it's a small throwing knife, pinning a small scrap of red flesh in place.

As Mash's eyes widen in horror, my hands shoot to my throat. The front half is missing, warm red liquid oozing out from beneath my fingers. Finally, the pain hits, but I can't scream out in agony with my voice box pinned to the ground several feet away from me.

Mash runs towards me- stop! The shield! Grab the shield!

And then, he's upon her, a hunched figure in a black cloak, lunging for her throat even as three more daggers - _when the hell did he throw those? _\- embed themselves in Mash's body.

She blocks the attack, his dagger impaling the palm of her left hand. A fierce kick is delivered to the attacker's solar plexus, sending him flying.

(As this occurs, I'm already collapsing to the ground, my vision fading as warm blood fills my lungs.)

But even as he is knocked back, something explodes out from beneath his cloak. An oversized crimson arm, some two to three times longer than the man is tall, lunges towards Mash-

Faintly, I hear him whisper, "[Zabaniya]."

The hand only brushes against her chest, a single fingertip making contact. She goes for the shield, preparing to deflect another volley of knives.

Only, the next attack doesn't come. Because the fight is already over. Clutched in that crimson hand, against all reason - _he only brushed her, how the hell? - _is a _still-beating human heart_.

He crushes it, and Mash drops, clutching her chest.

Finally, darkness claims me. I feel a strange sense of being pulled, and then...

* * *

**A/N:**

**Cursed Arm was camping the leyline. What a cheater.**

**Me, a week ago: "Next chapter by Friday hopefully."**

**lol**  
**(A homework assignment snuck up on me.)**

**Aiming for this Friday again, but this time I have literally zero commitments, so it should be easier.**

**REVIEW RESPONSE TIME (Unmarked spoilers for Re:Zero LN may follow)****:**

Zennishi said:

_On a side note, so... judging by his self characterization, this Subaru is the canon one. Huh, that's nice, for a second i was worried he was another Subaru from an alternative Bad End timeline._

_Though... i do wonder how he got back on Earth, as well as what happened to the main cast: Satella, Emilia, Puck, Rem, Ram, Beatrice, Petra, Roswaal, Reinhard (i don't suppose he can be summoned as a Heroic Spirit? :P), Julius, the other royal candidates, Shaula etc._  
_What of Echidna, or the Witch's Cult, such as Pandora...?_  
**Technically he is from a bad end timeline, albeit one very similar to canon. The difference here is that he got "erased" by Pandora post Pleiades watchtower, kicking him back to Earth.** _**Some** _**people from Lugnica can and will be summoned on earth as heroic spirits, but it's not necessarily the people you'd expect. **

_Did he met Volcanica or Satella and got some answers for his presence in her world, as well as his connection/'love?'?_

**Nope. he's still got no clue what was going on there.**  
_Also, is the Re Zero World a Lostbelt?_  
**No. If the lostbelts are "branches pruned from human history" then Lugnica is "a separate tree of the same species"**  
_And last, but not the least, i wonder how is Suffaru going to tackle the certain singularities like the Camelot Singularity - the infamous story arc where many players get crushed by the difficulty - God, if it was difficult for us [Players] then i don't want to imagine how much worse it is going to be for Subaru._  
**Well, you know what they say. "Let us not go to Camelot. 'Tis a silly place."**  
_On a side note, looks like Echidna was right... different timelines do exist, courtesy of the Second Magic. Shit, does that mean Subaru might encounter one of those Bad End timelines personally down the line? If so, he might just suffer another mental breakdown. Ouch. Honestly, it's like she derives joy from making others uncomfortable._

***Laughs villainously***

NoNameAvailable Bis said:

_I'm not sure how I feel about Roman having a premonition of what's about to happen. Mostly because it makes his reaction - namely, hiding in a room far away from any danger - look kind of really really bad. In canon, when he did get a premonition of Humanity's incineration, it drove him into a frenzy that basically defined the rest of his life, so this here seems strangely passive coming from him._

**Romani knew that there **_**would** _**be a disaster in 2015, but not the exact day and time. He just picked up on what Subaru was saying real fast. I guess it does seem a bit vague, though. I'll try to remember to go in and fix that at some point.**

Guest said:

_On a side note is "Hundred Gauntlets" abandoned?_

**That fic is not dead. I'm super writer's blocked on it, that's all.**

Zennishi said:

_Subaru's finally managed to get past the Tutorial. Now the Prologue begins... "Blackened Servant despair feels intensifies"_

**"What happens after the suffering?" Mash asks me.**

**"You don't know?" I reply with a wry grin. "That's when the suffering begins."**

_Assassin: "Assasinated"_

**lol**

_Also, is it possible Subaru might summon someone he knows as a Heroic Spirit? Maybe Satella or the Witch of Envy as Foreigner, or Beast, Julius as Saber, Reinhard as Grand Saber etc._

**Currently the plan is that all servants from Lugnica are going to be shoved into the foreigner class, by virtue of being literal aliens.**

**There are no non-canon Grands planned to make an appearance at the moment (no one from Lugnica qualifies anyway. They have to be "humans" (Quirinus being explicitly listed in canon as an exception because he was once human, and because he was so important to human history), and humans from another world don't count).**

Icantfindagoodusername said:

_Will technically zelretch can travel to different world. In fgo/kledic liner event that mentioned that illya and miyu were from different earth with diff. Rules aka completely diff. Tree of time(another world) and Kelido stick open a path back to world without any problem._

**To be clear, Miyu's world would count as a "parallel" world, because it's derived from Earth. Lugnica is "another" world, because it isn't derived from Earth. It doesn't share history (as far as we know), so it's on a different "tree". **

Amatsumi said:

_Is the A team still injured as a backup rather than most of them dead?_  
**The A team is in roughly the same spot as canon, because subaru only blocked the blast in the command room.**  
_Roman is still a medical officer of the staff so it is his job to know who alive and dead rather than Subaru to so you don't have to mention it since this seems to written in Third Person POV._

**Not sure what this means. The story is written in first person. If you're saying I slipped into third person at some point, I'm looking over it and I can't see it. I'd ask you to copy and paste the specific segment so I can see what you're talking about, but ffnet has weird anti copy/paste measures so it may not be possible. Sorry about that.**


	6. Chapter 6

**6: Meuniere pulls his weight.**

* * *

"...which is why we need you to secure that Leyline." concludes the Director as I'm shoved back into my body. My eyes widen, and I touch my throat unconsciously. I can still feel… that heat, the slow sensation of drowning on dry land. It's not the first time I've had my throat slashed, but it's not like it got any less scary.

Still, it's as good a time as any to get returned to.

"About that… We'll need a leyline and a catalyst to perform a summon, right? But if our enemy knows that, there's almost definitely going to be some kind of trap at the Leyline, and if we use Mash's shield as a catalyst we'll be sitting ducks." I interject.

"What else would you have us do? It's not like we've got many other options, right?" Olga Marie replies with a scowl.

"...Can summoning not be done without a catalyst?" I ask, stroking my chin. "Or rather, what exactly qualifies as a catalyst?"

"...It's possible to summon without a catalyst; the system would just treat your body as the catalyst. We're getting a bunch of nonsense readings from you at the moment thanks to the poor connection, but assuming you're an ordinary human and not secretly a demigod, the summoning would be unlikely to be successful." She says, frowning. "And even if it was successful, without a properly mystical catalyst, we'd be highly likely to just end up summoning someone useless - like a famous singer or actor."

Using my body as a catalyst? I've got the [Witch Factors] of three Sin Archbishops bouncing around inside me, not to mention Satella herself following me around! That's a bad end for sure!

"Right, so not using a catalyst… let's call that 'plan Z' for now." I say with a nervous chuckle. "What about these weapons, or the skeletons that were carrying them?"

"Cheap, mass-produced weapons like that? You'd be more likely to summon Thomas Edison or Henry Ford than an actual warrior." she scoffs. "And the bones would be basically the same as using the person they belonged to as a catalyst. Unless they were robbed from some legendary warrior's grave, they're no good."

"...I see. I've never been to Fuyuki, so I don't know if there are any famous people buried here…" I mutter.

"Director!" A man calls out from offscreen. "I happened to look it up before the mission - the Second Owner of Fuyuki is Tohsaka Rin, descendant of Tohsaka Nagato, a former pupil of the Wizard Marshal!"

Uh oh. A troublesome old man has come up.

"Really?" her face lights up. "Fine work, Meuniere! Any pupil of his is bound to have at least a few mana-infused gems lying around - and that means we've found our catalyst!"

"I'm not sure I follow…" I say. Well, the truth is, I think I _do _follow what she's saying, and it's seriously no good!

"Hm? It's simple, really. You'll just break into the Tohsaka residence and steal a gemstone or two. Something like that should be able to align the FATE system to summon an appropriately supernatural Servant. That being said, there's still a high chance of failure, but It's better than trying to summon while unarmed!" she says. That's what I meant. That's exactly what I was hoping she wasn't saying! Stealing is wrong, you know?

* * *

And yet, one set of coordinates and a long walk later, Mash and I find ourselves standing in front of the Tohsaka manor.

What's left of it, anyway.

The center of the house has been blown away, a V-shaped hole carved into the building and ground alike, stretching kilometers into the distance through home after home. A number of concentric half circles can be made out in the scorch marks on the ground, where the blast smashed through some fifteen or so barriers. At the center of the rings, a set of scorch marks in the vague shape of three human bodies can be made out - two adult-sized… and one child-sized.

...I really hate Fuyuki.

"...Well, any bounded field that would have protected this place is hopefully gone now." I say. "We might as well get to it."

Mash silently nods.

As I approach the gaping hole in the building, a faint glint catches my eye.

No.

Not a glint.

A mote of golden light slowly floats towards me. And then another. Two more. A dozen. Hundreds of little golden lights swirl around me.

"...Spirits, huh? What do you guys want?" I mutter.

"Eh!? Senpai, look out!" Mash yells, moving to try and get me out from the mysterious cloud of golden lights that she must be assuming to be an enemy attack. However, even as she moves towards me, the Spirits flit away, moving to one of the body-shaped scorch marks on the ground and swarming in place above it.

I sigh. "It's fine, Mash. It'd be easier if these guys could talk, though…"

I move over to where they're all going nuts, and finally I notice it. On the very edge of my awareness, not quite visible, not quite _real_…

I reach out towards the charred silhouette, and in a flash of light, I manage to grab and pull it free.

A beautiful gold and blue sheath. Pure and pristine, barely tangible to human hands, with the same kind of metaphysical _weight _as Mash's shield or Reinhard's sword. As I grasp it, the spirits shoot back to it, flowing into it like water into a sponge.

Well, this'll do.

"Catalyst, get!" I say, popping a thumbs up and grinning at Mash-tan.

"R-right..." she says, an absolutely befuddled expression on her face.

* * *

We could have searched the rest of the house for other useful tools, but since it was the residence of a magus, I figured we were just as liable to get killed by some horrible flesh-melting curse as to find something useful. And I'm not in a hurry to get melted again.

Slowly, we make our way to the Leyline - taking the occasional detour to avoid fallen buildings or large fires, and occasionally pausing to deal with small squads of skeletons.

"Um, senpai..?" Mash asks eventually.

"Wondering what all that was back there?" I ask.

"Yes. I'm very confused. How did you know that those lights weren't the bounded field responding to your presence? How did you pull that strange sheath out of midair? What were those little creatures?"

"Mm. Well, like I said earlier, I have an affinity for Spirits. Those guys were lesser Spirits, so they got excited to see me, and then they led me to the sheath, which… I'm not sure _how, _but I think it was metaphysically inside one of the people who died in that house. The Spirits helped me pull it out, and so here it is." I explain.

"I see. That's probably related to why Fou-kun likes you so much, then." She says, smiling.

"...Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to that little guy. He wandered off when I started talking to Dr. Roman. I hope he's alright…." I mutter.

"I'm sure that Fou-kun will be fine. He's a very smart creature." She responds confidently.

...I sure hope so.

* * *

Eventually, we arrive. The magic circle is set up, the sheath is laid in the center of it, and then, as I begin to repeat the chant after Mash-

Clang.

Mash shoots forwards and barely deflects a throwing dagger as the enemy erupts from the shadows.

Well, I had an invisible hand covering my throat this time, so it probably would have been fine regardless, but it's the thought that counts.

"Enemy signature confirmed - our attacker is an Assassin-class servant! Your orders, Senpai!" Mash calls out.

That's right. This is the moment of truth. My first real chance to fight back against the forces responsible for [Apocalypse Conflagration].

I won't fail. This time, for sure-!

We'll definitely defeat him, this Assassin Servant!

* * *

**A/N: ****Technically still Friday in some parts of the world! Victory!**

**Me, at the 800 word mark of this chapter:**

**"Oh shit I forgot Fou!"**

**I'm ruling that the Fairies in Avalon and the lesser Spirits in Re:Zero are roughly analogous existences. (Lancelot's personal skill is translated interchangeably as both "Protection of the Spirits" and "Protection of the Fairies")**

**Next chapter aiming for Wednesday.**

**REVIEW RESPONSE TIME (Unmarked spoilers for Re:Zero LN may follow)****:**

MrNoname said:

_I really like what's being done here but I wonder if subaru may end up summing himself or even the archbishops. I also wonder how Chaldea will learn of subarus ability as they have many smart servants like sherlock and leonardo who figure everything out. I also wonder about that healing earlier as Subaru should be impossible to erase from reality permanently thanks to his connection to the witch who would be very displeased if they threatened subarus soul._

**Right on the mark. As Subaru says in this chapter; summoning without a catalyst is nearly guaranteed to bring someone super troublesome; the witch factors serve as catalysts for all their prior holders. **

NoNameAvailable Bis said:

_Ouch, yeah, this is going to be a rough one. As Zennishi said, so many ways to die. I'd probably add "turned into a bloody pulp by Berserker" to the list - that one seem really painful, in fact._  
**Berserker's off partying in the forest, though. It'd take something like, say, a horrible scent that he just can't ignore even from miles away to get him to come out.**

**Oh wait.**  
_Kind of hope someone like Reinhard doesn't show up as a servant, he seems like he'd be a complete tension-killer. Then again I suppose becoming a servants do serve as a power limiter for some beings, so it's possible he'd be hit by the nerf bat._  
**Reinhard is unlikely to make an appearance for a while, and even if he does show up, his ridiculous divine protections aren't actually all that out of place for a servant (laughs in protection from arrows). He'd be high tier no doubt, but think more Siegfried (in lore, not in game lol) than Gilgamesh.**  
_Anyway, at the very least, saving Olga Marie, check! At least for now._

***Villainous laughter***

BlueCore said:

_Nice, cursed arm was a like a DS mob hiding next to the bonfire._

**"Be wary of right arm." "Thief ahead by the way be wary of right arm." "Friend ahead but be wary of right arm." "right arm ahead therefore try shield" "curse, right arm ahead." "I can't take this..."**

Nexxoz Highdraco said:

_Mari esta con vida o almenos eso me dio a entender. Good fic._

**Unfortunately my Spanish is terrible. (I took two semesters of it and then immediately forgot everything I learned.)**

**HOWEVER! We have the technology!**

Nexxoz Highdraco, post Google Translate, said:

_Mari is alive or at least that's what she gave me to understand._

**Yes! Olga Marie is, in fact, alive (albeit having lost an arm).**

**That's all for today. See you guys Wednesday, and stay safe out there!**


	7. Chapter 7

**7: Hassan-i-Sabbah**

* * *

I stir once again. Something is moving. Something more… fresh, than the skeletons aimlessly wandering about. The leyline has been a decent substitute - siphoning from it almost measures up to the thrill of crushing a life between my fingers.

Almost.

But now, two souls have come near to my resting place. Living. Living humans. I had thought that they had all been slaughtered already, but clearly that wasn't the case.

I give the corpse I'm attached to a mental nudge, and the husk of the man once named Hanam awakens.

Kill. Kill them. Rip and tear, devour their hearts. I, Shaytan, demand it.

The husk waits to strike, his training from before I devoured him still remembered by his body. It observes them. A normal human and a servant. And yet, the servant is not quite a servant, still being made of flesh and blood - I can feel her heartbeat from here.

Delicious. Wonderful. Kill them.

They both focus on a magic circle. Summoning. They wish to summon another Servant?

More life to snuff out. How wonderful.

But the husk is worried. A brief, animalistic fear, flaring up from what little of its mind remains its own. It believes we cannot defeat two servants at once. We could seek aid from one of the others, but then they might take all of the killing for themselves.

Unfortunately, the husk is correct.

Fine then. Kill them before they finish the summoning. It can't be helped.

The corpse throws a dirk at the master's throat as we materialize. The servant blocks it with her shield, but in doing so, she overextends. Her shield is out of position, and one of the husk's dirks finds its mark in her left calf.

My arm surges forth as what's left of Hanam mutters a faint "[Zabaniya]." Twisting, writhing, bending, it slithers around her shield, reaching for her heart.

Only, just before it reaches her, _something _catched it by the wrist. An invisible hand, grappling it and preventing retreat. Were I a human, such pressure would break my wrist for sure.

However, I am no human. The husk severs my arm at the elbow in one blow of his dirk, and we jump back, giving me time to regenerate, a new hand sprouting from my elbow. In the meantime, the severed hand continues to writhe like the broken tail of a lizard, still seeking the Shielder's heart.

The boy yells to his servant not to let my arm touch her - that it will kill her for sure. He has good instincts.

The servant engages us, her shield smashing into the husk and breaking a few of its ribs - not that it matters. So long as its spirit origin remains intact, I shall continue to exist. Any other injuries are superficial.

I reach for her heart again, with her only narrowly preventing contact by batting my arm aside with her shield. She takes a dirk to the abdomen for her trouble, but the wound seals up almost instantly. The master is healing her.

We'll have to kill him first, then.

Disengaging under cover of a volley of dirks, the corpse scuttles towards the boy. I reach out, only to be denied again by an invisible hand.

My previously severed limb has been released - perhaps the invisible hand can only grab one thing at a time?

In that case, then… I'll need my left hand.

The empty shell of Hanam reaches for the metaphysical binding upon my seal, and prepares to invoke our final Noble Phantasm - my right arm pulsing with energy as my body starts to be freed.

The boy's eyes widen, and he lunges for the sheath in the magic circle, which flares with golden light as he grabs it.

(My arm is released from the invisible hand's grasp - about three meters range, then?)

"Beast of hellfire, fiend of the desert…" mutters Hanam.

The girl swings her shield at us, but the corpse ducks beneath it, and she's forced to jump back to avoid my hand.

("Contract, sealed-!" the boy mutters).

"...devour their lives, great Accuser! [Iblis…!" Shouts my host, and my arm writhes as more of my body starts to emerge from his shoulder.

"Shamak!" roars the mage, pointing the sheath at me as black smoke pours out of it.

And suddenly, without warning, the moment the smoke touches the tips of Hanam's toes, I cease to exist.

…

No. That can't be right. I can still think, so I still exist. I can still sense the presence of Hanam's empty husk.

And yet, apart from that, there is nothing. Absolute oblivion. Sensory deprivation.

...So that's the nature of his spell. A sensory disconnect. I can still move Hanam's body, but I can't move my own, because I can't sense its presence. Hanam's shoulder is still jerking around - my arm is still there.

Right, my body has high magic resistance, so such a spell wouldn't affect me.

...So why can I only feel Hanam's body?

…

Oh. I get it now.

I'm... Hanam, aren't I?

Faintly, I hear the tolling of an old evening bell...

* * *

I, Natsuki Subaru, scramble backwards as the Assassin's crimson arm drags his body towards me. The rest of his skeletal form is limp, but the arm is still moving towards me! What the hell is going on here!?

I had managed to negotiate a provisional contract with the Fairies of Avalon, and cast Shamak in desperation since it looked like he was about to pull out something scary - but what's with this effect!?

Shamak is supposed to be a sensory deprivation spell, not a paralysis spell!

Mash-tan runs toward the Assassin again, pinning its crimson arm beneath her shield, and slamming into it again and again in an effort to break its bones.

Suddenly, the skeletal body, which had been limp since Shamak hit it, draws another of his daggers. Shamak should still be active, and yet - !

"Mash!" I yell, and she jumps back, moving to block the thrown dagger from hitting me or herself.

...But he doesn't throw it. He twirls it in his hand, gripping it like a kitchen knife.

And then, in a single blow, he hacks his own right arm off at the shoulder.

The crimson limb falls, and rather than a new arm sprouting from the Assassin's body, the end of the severed limb shudders, bubbling like a pot of water on a stove as a new, orange-red torso begins to grow out of it..!

"Shit!" I hiss. "Mash-tan, we're going to have to withdraw! We can't take both of them-!"

A head and face emerge from the bubbling red torso. The head is the same red-orange as the rest of its body, with burning crimson eyes and teeth as sharp as stilettos. It grins, and then, suddenly, it shoots forward, that damn _arm_ slithering and twisting towards me -!

Squelch.

The Skeletal Assassin is suddenly between us, his knife embedded deep in the monster's throat. The demon gurgles, and for a brief moment I think I see a flash of blue flame erupt from the Assassin's blade.

And then, in a spray of blood, he removes its head.

…

"Eh?"

What the hell is going on!?

* * *

**Servant Profile**

**Hassan of the Cursed Arm (Alter)**

**Parameters**

Strength: B

Endurance: A

Agility: A

Mana: C

Luck: E

Noble Phantasm: B

**Personal Skills**

Projectile (Daggers) C

Self-Modification B+

Battle Continuation E

**Class Skills**

Presence Concealment B-

**Noble Phantasm**

Zabaniya - Delusional Heartbeat

Rank: C+

Type: Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm

Iblis Akbar - Glory to the Unbowing One

Rank: B

Type: Anti-Self Noble Phantasm

An absolute heresy. The complete release of the Demon Shaytan upon the world, to revel in slaughter and bring glory to Iblis - a being considered by many to be the same individual as the Hebrew Devil.

**Profile**

The Old Man of the Mountain, blackened by the tainted Holy Grail. He gave his right arm to the Demon Shaytan, in return for power. However, he underestimated the Demon's influence upon him, and slowly lost his mind.

Not two years after gaining the title Hassan-i-Sabbah, he had it stripped from him, and his head was claimed by an Angel of Death.

* * *

**Oh hey I'm early.**

**This one's a bit spicy, and hopefully people aren't upset by the direction I took both Avalon and Cursed Arm. And that people aren't upset at the POV switch.**

**I decided to give Hassan a proper Altering, rather than just having him be a shadow servant. The obvious route for this was total possession by Shaytan - and then it turned into this from there.**

**Next chapter Friday or earlier.**

* * *

**REVIEW RESPONSE TIME:**

NoNameAvailable Bis said:

_Anyway, okay, Subaru definitely hit the jackpot with that catalyst. Sorry, dead Shirou from another timeline, we'll be taking that! Only question would be "which of the many Arturias will end up answering". Of course, first they have to get rid of Assassin. Your gauntlet begins now, Mash! (no, but seriously, in canon she ends up fighting Cursed Arm, Benkei, Medusa, Emiya, freakin' Saber Alter and Herakles as an option on her very first day as a Servant. That's one hell of an introduction to the job)_

**Well, she won't be alone, though. **

_Smart move not using himself as a catalyst, that's a mess Chaldea really doesn't need at the moment._

**Olga: You'll summon someone useless in a fight**

**Subaru: Man I _wish_.**

Flying Helmet said:

_They mentioned snagging gemstones from Tohsaka's mansion but they just grabbed Avalon..._

_They couldve gotten Rin's gemstone (Archer's catalyst) but that couldve happened off-screen._

_I feel like they couldve at least looked around the house more for anything useful rather than just popping in and out which seemed like straight away. He could've afforded to explore. Seemed strange_

**You're right. I should've added a throwaway line like: "The building is too wrecked to explore, though.****"**

Zennishi said:

_Also, quite the pity Rin's house was burned down, along with the Snake's Skin that would have otherwise allowed Subaru to summon Gilgamesh!_

**No, this is probably a good thing.**


	8. Chapter 8

**8: Sometimes, infodumps are necessary.**

* * *

The skeletal Assassin stands in place for a bit, his eyes fixed on the creature he had just beheaded until it finally finishes dissolving into a pile of blackish-purple dust. Finally, he turns his attention towards me.

With a cry of "Senpai!" Mash jumps to my defense, placing herself between him and me. I don't sense any hostility from him, but he is an Assassin, so I suppose it's within the realm of possibility that he's still aiming to kill me. But that idea is thrown out pretty quickly.

Still heavily breathing, he kneels in place. "Lord Magus, I am in your debt. Please, allow me to offer my humble assistance."

Now, I'm no stranger to forgiving my enemies and turning them into allies. Hell, Rem killed me twice, and I wound up loving her almost as much as I do Emilia. But all of the enemies turned allies in Lugnica were hard-fought friendships, people I only won over through ridiculous amounts of conscious effort on my part.

"Ah… I didn't really do much, though? Or rather, what did I do?" I say, scratching my head.

"...Many years ago, I made a deal with a Demon named Shaytan. My right arm was traded for his, in order to give me the power needed to inherit the title of Hassan-i-Sabbah. But the Demon was able to influence me through its arm, and within a short amount of time I was completely possessed." He says, his voice flooded with shame and fist clenched tightly.

"Your… sensory deprivation spell, I believe it was? It only affected me, not Shaytan - and as such, our respective consciousnesses were split from each other for the first since the day I made my deal with him."

"And so you were able to rebel against him and free yourself!" I nod with a smile. Sasuga Shamak-san. Truly, you are my greatest and most reliable friend. "Well, it's not like it was intended, but I'm glad it worked out this way. I, Natsuki Subaru, will accept your contract… Hassan-san?"

The red marks on my left hand - command spells, I think the director called them in the first loop - gleam as the contract is sealed.

"You may call me Hanam, Lord Magus. The title Hassan-i-Sabbah was stripped from me when I went mad." He says. "I accept your contract. I may have lost my Noble Phantasm and my right arm, but I shall do my best to live up to your expectations regardless."

"R-right. Well, since you probably know, what's the current situation here in Fuyuki? Is it safe for us to focus on reestablishing communications with Chaldea, or are we likely to get jumped by another enemy servant?" I ask.

"What!? Master, are you saying you came from outside Fuyuki?" Hanam says, his mask's eyes appearing to widen in shock - how's he doing that? Is it like a Noh mask, changing expressions as he tilts his head?

"That's right. Mash-tan and I are from the future - this whole disaster is probably the result of someone messing around with time travel. So all that being said, we're kind of in the dark as to what's going on here." I explain.

"I… see. Well, this area should be safe for now. The servants that were 'blackened' like I was have staked out their own specific hunting grounds, and Caster was still skirmishing with Lancer the last time that I checked." Hanam says, stroking his chin. "The only enemies nearby are a handful of skeletons, so if you wish to contact your comrades prior to my explanation, that would probably be for the best."

"Right," says Mash. "I'll start the setup to re-establish communications."

* * *

"Alright, communications online! Mash, Subaru, do you read me?" Says Doctor Romani as a hologram of him materializes above Mash's shield.

"You're coming through loud and clear, Dr. Roman! Where's the Director? She's going to want to hear about this mess." I reply.

"...The Director is currently resting in the Medbay. She lost a lot of blood, so I've mandated a week of bed rest - and that's with us having magi with healing mysteries on tap. So, for the foreseeable future, you'll have to make do with me." He says with an easygoing smile.

"Understood, Doctor." Says Mash with a nod. "I'll begin a quick summary of our progress so far investigating Singularity F."

He nods, and she begins.

"...and that's about everything that happened up to this point." She concludes.

"I see, that all makes sense - not! Did you really think I'd say that!? Subaru-kun, I was going to hold off on asking this considering how complicated the situation is right now, but _who are you!?_" The doctor yells.

"You're casting spells even though all of our readings are saying your magic circuits are ruptured! You're chatting up fairies like it's no big deal! You're existing on several spectrums that Humans don't actually exist on! And our scanners keep picking up at least three additional soul-like contaminants within your body!"

...Man, he didn't even mention the future sight, and I still sound like some kind of terrifying monster, huh?

"...Well, I'll start with the important disclaimer that this is all the Wizard Marshal's fault," I begin. That's mostly a lie, but he'll probably cover for me at least a little. And besides, it _is _the old man's fault that I joined Chaldea in the first place.

"That's the kind of claim that needs some proof, Subaru-kun," Romani says.

I toss Mash my cell phone. "Check my call history. I spoke to him just before you and I met, Doctor."

Mash nods, and the doctor relaxes a bit. "Well, that old man would probably have annihilated you if you were some kind of villain. Still, I would like an explanation. All our records say that you should be a first generation magus, so this nonsense is a bit…"

"Right. In short, about three months ago, I wound up getting sent to another world, full of fantasy elements like magic and demihumans. If you're aware of the Isekai craze going on in the Japanese Light Novel market right now, it was basically that."

"What."

"Right? Anyways, some stuff happened, and eventually I wound up getting sent back to Earth, only with a bunch of extra knowledge related to the supernatural, especially when it comes to interacting with spirits. After I broke my ga- er, magic circuits, I wound up learning the Spirit Arts - contracting with a sort of local fairy equivalent in order to still use magic." I explain.

Romani massages his temples. "Okay, so none of that made much sense, but I'm just going to accept it and move on, because otherwise I think I'm going to get a headache. I'll just get Da Vinci to interrogate you later."

"Right. I guess that makes it your turn, Hanam." I say, scratching my cheek.

"Understood. To start with, the current state of the city is the result of the fifth Fuyuki Holy Grail War-" He begins.

"What do you mean _fifth_!?" Romani shrieks.

* * *

"So Saber went nuts and started turning everyone evil, which is how you wound up possessed by your arm?" I clarify.

"That is correct, Master. The unaltered Hassan of the Cursed Arm retained his sanity his whole life. It's safe to say that the other servants were altered in a similar manner, a dark twist on their legends."

"And as far as you know the only one who wasn't turned evil was Caster, who has somehow been able to keep up a run-and-gun style conflict for a whole month against six other servants?" Romani says, somewhat impressed.

"...Somewhat. In reality, He has only ever had to face two or three of us at a time, and only for the first week. Berserker is highly territorial and uninterested in cooperation, as Rider discovered. Saber has not left the site of the greater grail since her initial rampage, and Archer has stood guard over her for all that time. And after Rider fell to Berserker, Lancer and I went our separate ways - presumably she is still in her hunting grounds near the church in the eastern half of town." He replies with a one-armed shrug.

"Caster should still be in that area as well - I haven't felt either of them fall, and he's been putting enough effort into fighting her recently that I'd assume he's looking to finish her..."

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" something howls in the distance.

"...Or perhaps he's decided to poke Berserker. Perhaps now would be a good time to finish summoning reinforcements, Master?"

"...Probably a good idea, yeah."

* * *

After finishing the circle, I pause for a moment. "Hey, Doctor, I've been meaning to ask. Just how many servants can we actually support?"

"Hmm." He hums. "Well, with the power in its current state at Chaldea… I'd say we can manage one or two active combatants, not counting Mash - and their ability to use Noble Phantasms is likely to be impaired. And of course, that all depends on the power level of the servant - someone ridiculously powerful like King Arthur or Heracles would probably take up all of our resources, with no power left for their Noble Phantasm."

"Well, in that case, let's hope that we don't summon someone ridiculously powerful, right?" I say with a nervous smile.

* * *

The magic circle flares to life, and then in a flash of bright blue light, a Knight in red armor is standing there.

"Servant, Saber! I, Mordred, the true heir of Camelot, have arrived!" He proclaims.

Someone ridiculously powerful came!

* * *

**A/N:**

**It's Mo-san! Mo-san is here!**

**This chapter is kinda icky, but to me infodumps always feel icky to write, so I have no clue whether people will be ok with it or not.**

**Next chapter Monday hopefully.**

* * *

**REVIEW RESPONSE CORNER:**

The Crowned Reaper said:

_Did Subaru just summon Gramps? As in the Grant Assassin? Welp, we won._

**Unfortunately for Barasu, Gramps was only here as a weird visual and auditory hallucination. It's just Hassan of the now absent Cursed Arm here.**

MrNoName said:

_I think it should be made clear how many servants subaru should have since potentialy they can single handily destroy tension with power so something should be done to limit him or make it clear how many he can get although for bow he is doing pretty well._

**Don't worry too much. Subaru is gonna be on the back foot for most of this fic, even with Mo-san here now. (Chaldea generators ore still fried, so Mordred is stuck not NP spamming. This is a no surfing zone.)**


	9. Chapter 9

**9: Sometimes, video games are misleading.**

* * *

As the light from the summoning dies down, Mordred's helmet clicks and shifts away like something from a transforming robot show - isn't that a bit anachronistic? He has blond hair and green eyes, and a somewhat effeminate face - but I won't be fooled! I'm friends with Ferris, so I'm able to see through at least this much!

"Yo! I'm Natsuki Subaru, and these guys are Mash and Hanam. Nice to have you aboard, Mordred-san!" I say with a wave.

"So someone like you is my master, huh? Well, your attitude is decent at least, so as long as you don't slow me down, we'll probably get along." He says before turning his attention to the other two. "And what's the deal with you two? You're definitely Servants, but I've never heard of either of you. Shieldy in particular is a bit…"

"Um, I'm actually a demi-servant - we don't know who the servant lending his power to me is, though…" Mash says.

"Oh! That explains it. Still, to think you'd get clothes like that… it seems more like something that Gawain would give you, not him…" Mordred mutters.

"Eh!? Does that mean you know who-!?" Mash exclaims.

"Sure, but I'm not gonna tell you. That's probably the type of thing you've gotta figure out on your own - I may not like the bastard, but he wouldn't kneecap you like that without a good reason." The Saber says with a shrug. "Anyway, skeleton guy. What's your deal?"

"...For a time while I was alive, I bore the title "Hassan-i-Sabbah. That is no lon-"

"Ehh? So a scrawny guy like you is the Old Man of the Mountain, huh? Well I guess that explains all the trash talk from Marco Polo, right?"

...There's a vein bulging in anger on Hanam's mask. I don't think that was there before, right?

"Anyways, that's everyone introduced!" I say, picking up the sheath from the summoning circle. "Doctor, how are the power reserves looking?"

"Not good, I'm afraid. Sir Mordred is likely going to be unable to use his Noble Phantasm without you powering it by command spell." He says.

"Tch. That's a pain. So what, I only get three uses of my sword for however long this shit takes to resolve?" Mordred replies.

"No, Chaldea's generators should be able to restore a command spell once every twenty-four hours." Romani says. "So don't be too stingy, Subaru-kun!"

"Right." I mutter. Well, I'm definitely not looking forward to running out of command and not being able to return to the point where I still had them. I know how this stuff works.

"By the way, master… that sheath…" Mordred says.

"Hm? Is it yours?" Fairies don't really seem his style, so that's a bit unexpected.

"No. It's my father's sheath. Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia. While he had the thing, not a drop of his blood could be shed in battle, so I stole the thing and buried it out in the middle of nowhere!" He says with a proud grin.

Wait, is that what Avalon is? I thought it was just some generic fantasy land, which is why it didn't mean much to me when the guys in the sheath introduced themselves to me.

Videogames and Anime lied to me!

"Well, if you summoned me instead of him, there's likely some serious compatibility issues going on between you two, so it's probably for the best!" Mordred says, resting his hands behind his head.

Hanam grunts. "That may not be the reason. The truth is… King Arthur was already summoned to Fuyuki. Saber may be of an unexpected gender, but that holy sword of hers was without a doubt the real deal."

"Heh." Mordred's mouth stretches into a feral grin. "Hah! Ha ha ha ha! Father! To think you'd be summoned here as well! This must be fate! Because, no one can defeat you! No one but me, _father!" _He throws his head back, letting out wicked laughter, with no sign of stopping-!

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!"

Suddenly, an impact rocks the area, and _he's _here. A hulking giant with no skin, its bare muscles glowing red and oozing blood. Here and there, scraps of torn skin are still present on its frame, and somehow all its exposed organs are remaining in place. Its crimson eyes scan the area, but don't focus on anything - _he's blind_, I realize after a moment.

He's right next to me.

"Woah, that's dangerous. Be careful, Master." Says Mordred, whose sword is already biting into the huge stone blade the giant is wielding. Somehow, he had blocked what I presume to be Berserker's blow, even with his guard lowered from his laughter.

The knight kicks me, and I'm sent flying backwards some thirty feet, only to be caught by Mash.

Mordred dodges a punch, freeing Berserker's blade, and then the fight begins in earnest.

Faster than the eye can see, their blades clash over and over again - and then, suddenly, a _foot _meets Mordred's chest, and the knight is embedded in a nearby building.

The giant heaves a breath, steam erupting from his jaws, and his head snaps towards the rest of us - only for a thrown blade to embed itself in his side. Mordred is upon him a second later, tearing free the sword in a shower of blood that Berserker doesn't even seem to notice.

"Shieldy, Skeleton guy, whenever you feel like helping out, that'd be great!"

"R-right!" Shouts Mash. "Mash Kyrielight, engaging the enemy!"

Before she can jump into the fight, Hanam grabs her shoulder. "Be careful. Berserker was arguably the strongest servant in the war prior to his blackening. Our foe is no less than Heracles, the strongest hero of Greece!"

For real!? Just how many stupidly rare historical artifacts did the people in this war have lying around, anyway?

"▂▂▃▃▅▅-" Heracles roars, as if relishing the compliments.

"Agh, for real!" Mordred yells in exasperation as he bats back blow after blow. "In that case, a command spell might be nee-!"

"▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■■-!"

And suddenly, the fight is over.

An attack slips past Mordred's guard, too fast for him to react, cleaving him neatly from left shoulder to right hip, armor and all - followed by another equally lethal blow, and another, and another, and by the time the command spell on my hand has flared in activation, he's already long gone.

Luckily, command spells don't care about pesky things like "total bodily obliteration".

"[Clarent… Blood Arthur!"] Mordred roars, and even as his blade falls from his grasp, red light erupts from it, tearing a hole in Berserker's body equal to about sixty percent of his body mass.

{Sorry, Master. Seems I'll be tagging out early.} Mordred's voice emanates in my mind - and then he's gone, in a shower of golden particles.

-!

Something explodes out of the rising mist of gold - an impossible mass of tendons and meat, still gripping a stone axe-sword. Mash deflects his first blow, but she staggers under the force - and then he flexes a muscle in his back, and his _left goddamn lung_ smashes into her with supersonic force, sending her sprawling.

He raises his blade, and [Invisible Providence] is already in position, two hands spreading in front of me to catch the blade- and then Hanam kicks me to the left, placing himself in the path of the blade.

I scream out in horror. He can't die for me! No one should die for me, because I _won't die!_

Desperately, I stretch my invisible hands to their maximum possible range, to catch the blade, to make sure that this person won't die for me.

He _doesn't _die for me.

Heracles changes his aim.

The blade is suddenly swung to the left, towards me, _neatly weaving below my first hand and then above the second_.

Can he see them!? Or are his instincts just that good?

Regardless, the blade leaves his hand, and despite Hanam's attempt to protect me, it finds its mark. The thrown axe-sword, spinning like a ceiling fan flies towards me - and then, with a sharp pain in my neck, I can't breathe.

I can't breathe, I can't move my body, and the world is spinning, spinning, spinning, spinning. Tumbling over and over, ground and sky switching places again and again as a faint scream splits the air.

My head hits the ground, my crumpled body landing next to it. There's blood pooling out of the cleanly severed stump of my neck.

As my vision fades, I see the Berserker exhale another cloud of steam.

I feel a faint pull, and then...

* * *

**A/N:**

**Still Monday in some places.**

**IT COUNTS.**

**Berserker is scary.**

**However, the solution to defeat him was foreshadowed in this chapter! (I don't just mean command spell, to be clear).**

**Can you figure it out?**

**Next chapter Friday.**

* * *

**REVIEW RESPONSE CORNER!**

NoNameAvailable Bis said:

_Well, Mo-san, good news! You'll get to beat up your dad soon enough! Ah, nostalgia. Also, getting a 5-star on your starting roll? Hax! I call hax!_

**It's in the title man. Barasu is a save-scumming, rerolling, cheating cheater who cheats.**

_Gotta be honest, I kind of expected One-Armed Hassan to die soon after getting rid of Shaytan, though I suppose Servants are made of hardier stuff. Well, I imagine he's at least cheap on the maintenance. And, well, sneak attacks are always good - when they work._

**Servants are sturdy as fuck. Just wait til Lostbelt 5 man. There's some silly shit that happens there.**

Crown of Reaper said:

_Mordred, huh. Not a bad choice at all, but I feel a bit disapointed. I was hoping for angry Lancelot, but I guess the son can confront the Tyrant. At least it's a knight of the round table._

**Mordred's compatibility with Subaru is actually pretty damn high. (Has to do with Subaru's backstory as expanded upon in the LNs, as well as his personality.)**

Wolfclaw661 said:

_Another great chapter. I'm curious so forgive if this is a stupid question but does this Subaru still have arms covered in the black marks of the dragon blood or is he from a point in the story where that's no longer a thing? I was wondering because if so that would be quite a distinctive thing he would likely attempt to hide with clothing but it would be interesting to see other characters reactions to it if they are still there. Unless of course you've already explained this question in some way already in the fic and I'm just extremely absentminded. Anyway thanks for the chapter._

**This in particular has not been specifically addressed, but Subaru mentioned he showed up at the same place he left, at the same time, on the same day. In short, all _physical _changes have been reverted. Spiritually, he didn't get rolled back, though - so he has his authorities, and his gate is broken.**

Guest said (about Reinhard):

_But is he not above Siegfried in every way considering he is the counterpart Satella the one who swallowed half the world while he is the other half the world's illegitimate hero, and he basically is a protagonist with plot armors though I guess anti worlds could kill him(unless more plot armor)(ex infinite revival), and he could probably beat swig as a kid don't know if all that is highball and sorry for gamer. But he should be like a grand servant because of all that jazz._

**So. There are various reasons for my statements about Reinhard. First: _his legend does not exist on Earth_. Hence, he cannot qualify to become a standard servant. He _can _qualify for Foreigner, by virtue of his nature as a literal alien, but he still loses quite a bit of power just because people on Earth don't know about him. So several of his protections would degrade; similar to how Achilles is no longer flat out "invincible" and can instead still be wounded by those with divinity, so too would Reinhard gain some vulnerability to servants with enough firepower.**

**Second - minor infodump about "Grand" incoming, because a lot of people seem to misunderstand it, and I looked up the details on it specifically when deciding how relevant it would be to this story (and then subsequently decided not to make any OC grands)**

**Grand servants are not just the most powerful in their class!**

**Grand servants are more powerful than normal servants purely _because of their class container being grand. _This has _nothing to do with _the actual powerlevel of the servant. If Astolfo got shoved in a Grand container for some reason, he would probably be able to body Gilgamesh. Grands surpass normal servants to the same degree that normal servants surpass humans. That's all.**

**Grand servants have selection criteria!**

**Non-humans _cannot_ become Grand servants. There is _one _exception, and that's Quirinus, who was _formerly Romulus_, and thus is still a _former human_. Reinhard is not of the human order of Earth - he would not be seen as "Human" by Alaya. Disqualified.**

**Each class has its own criteria! **

**Grand Caster _must _have clairvoyance. The others are unknown, though - could easily be something like "Grand Saber must shoot beams". Unknown if Reinhard qualifies.**

**The seat of each Grand is already filled!**

**Only one individual can fill each seat, with a new one being selected as the chair is abdicated. Presumably, this means that all the grands are **_really _**old, although Hassan bucks this trend if he's actually the **_real _**Hassan i Sabbah from the Crusades era. This is, on the other hand, fodder for the theory that he is actually the biblical Cain. Also, Excalibur was used to beat Separ way back in several thousand BC; whether this was Grand Arthur or not is unknown. Regardless, the seat is filled and Reinhard is probably too recent.**

**Alright, I'm done ranting. **

**TL;DR, Grand is very very complicated, and I don't really feel comfortable slapping it on anyone.**

iRogue III said:

_In your A/N you mentioned how you don't really like info dumps or something roughly to that affect. I'm going to make a suggestion for things like that. Feel free to just make a general summary for the topic that fits in all of a sentence or two. For example let's take the part from this chapter where Subaru explains his situation. It's nice to elaborate on things, but sometimes it's alright to just write something likeI explained the barebones of my situation to them." and then the reaction from Romani._

_Well that's if you want too. I just think it's an easier way of stating things the audience might already be familiar with, but that's me though. Not quite going into it but not quite glossing over it. Sorry if this doesn't make sense._

**Yeah, that's what I prefer to do when possible, but in this case I felt like it was necessary stuff for purposes of setting things up that not all readers might be aware of. I'm trying to keep it accessible to people who have only read one or the other of Re:zero/FGO, though I don't know how well I'm actually doing there.**

Guest said:

if Avalon isn't destroyed by that summoning, then it is probably possible to use to summon Artoria once the Alter version is dead, presumably Mordred was summoned because an Artoria has already been summoned and thus cannot be re-summoned when she is still alive.

**Correct on all counts! However, it's bold of you to assume Barasu won't figure out a way to lose Avalon before Salter goes down ;P**


	10. Chapter 10

**10: No bloodhounds were harmed.**

* * *

"Servant, Saber! I, Mordred, the true heir of Camelot, have arrived!"

I blink, taking a second to get my bearings. So my return point got moved again, huh?

"Yo! I'm Natsuki Subaru, and the two other servants are Mash and Hanam. I'm sure you've got questions, but they're gonna have to wait. That berserker's gonna be here in about five minutes, so we've gotta go." I say with a smile.

"Eh!? Subaru-kun, what are you- oh crap he's right!" Romani says. "We've got a servant signature moving towards you guys at high speeds - still around sixteen kilometers out, which is why I didn't notice it, but that's not super far for some servants!"

"He never leaves that forest… what could have agitated him..?" Hanam mutters, and then turns to me. "Master, our enemy is Heracles, of Greek myth. Of the three servants here, I'm the fastest, and he can still keep pace with me - but he has higher endurance. If we flee, he'll catch us for sure."

Shit. So our only choice is to fight him head on? That's so unfair!

"Goddammit! We'll fight, then! Romani, I'm going to need to use a command spell to let Mordred use his Noble Phantasm, right?" I say.

"That's right. He should be able to go wild otherwise - your master affinity is high enough to support a servant without Chaldea. But because of the setup here - !"

"...The energy for Noble Phantasms is sourced directly from Chaldea's generators, which are broken, right? That's fine. We'll figure it out." I say, interrupting him. "More importantly…" I grab Avalon from the summoning circle.

Mordred's eyes widen. "Is that..?"

"Avalon. Yeah. Hey, this thing is supposed to make whoever wears it immune to injury, right? How do I get that to work?"

He scowls. "You can't. It only works for Father - maybe if you were contracted with him, you could get it to function for you, but it's no good otherwise."

Well, in that case I suppose it'll remain a glorified magic wand. And not even a particularly good one, either - the fairies of Avalon are similar to the spirits of Lugnica, but they aren't the _same_ \- I'm limited to the spells that I know how to cast on my own. In other words, all I've got to my name is Shamak.

And I'm not so sure what sensory deprivation is going to do to someone who's already blind.

"One kilometer remaining! Brace yourselves!" Romani yells.

"Mordred! By my command spell, use your Noble Phantasm and annihilate Berserker!" I yell, and one of the icons on my left hand glows bright red.

"Gladly! [Clarent…" He responds, his blade engulfed with crimson light.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" Berserker sails into sight, hurtling towards us at sonic speed, blade raised.

"Mash!" I yell, and she manages to get between him and me before the blow lands.

His stone axe-sword smashes into her shield, and he jumps back, landing a few meters away with his left hand on the ground and his blade held to the side. A cloud of steam hisses out from between his teeth - and then he whips his head to the right, staring directly at Mordred.

"...Blood Arthur]!" the Saber roars, and then a massive geyser of energy engulfs Heracles. A veritable wall of red light, shooting out into the distance some ten or twenty kilometers before curving up into the sky.

The battlefield is silent for a few seconds as the light dissipates.

And then Heracles erupts out of the ground, smashing into Mordred, the knight's blade barely deflecting the hit.

"He dug a hole!?" Mash exclaims.

His back is charred, a cylindrical cross section having been carved out of his shoulder blades when Clarent plowed a trench into the street. But overall, he's unharmed, and seemingly unfazed.

What the hell was that!? It seemed like he had fallen for it, but then-!

The steam. The same thing happened when he weaved through my [Invisible Providence]. He breathed out a cloud of steam.

No, more importantly, he had to have _breathed in _first!

He's blind, so obviously-!

"He's tracking us by smell!" I exclaim. That's probably what set him off in the first place - He smelled the Witch on me, just like the Mabeasts back in Lugnica.

"▂▂▃▃▅▅-" Heracles roars - the same roar that preceded his increase in speed and subsequent dismemberment of Mordred last time. Is it a Noble Phantasm?

No, focus. To have smelled me from the forest… his sense of smell must be ridiculously potent. _But that just means he's more sensitive, right?_

"Let's try this, then! I can use [Return by-!" I yell, and I feel a cold hand grasp my heart as the Witch prevents me from sharing my secret. But that's exactly what I want. With her presence, the scent on me will have intensified.

"Senpai/Master!?" Mash and Hanam cry out as I double over. But I grin at them, and they ease up a bit. This ought to seal the deal.

Mordred's nose twitches, and his eyes flick to me for a moment - so he can smell it too, huh?

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

But most importantly, Heracles visibly recoils, grabbing at his face and flailing his blade wildly, thoroughly disoriented.

Like a bloodhound that just got a faceful of cayenne pepper.

Mordred sees his opening, and weaves past Berserker's guard, a burst of red lightning erupting from his feet as he does so - a flash of steel, a spray of blood, and the right arm of Heracles is sent flying away.

He retaliates with a snap of his teeth aimed at the knight's head, but the knight ducks, dodging the attack - and then, he plunges Clarent up, past Berserker's open mouth, and out the other side of his skull.

For a moment, I think it might be over, but then the giant backhands Mordred, sending the knight skipping across the ground.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Heracles pulls the sword from his mouth, splattering blood and grey matter on the ground - but he remains standing. He grips it by the blade, and I see him inhale through his nose.

And then, he hurls the sword at me. Mash is already in position to block it, but it doesn't reach her.

Barely noticed, a pebble clatters to the ground in front of us, and then it glows with blue light, a magic circle appearing on the ground. Clarent bounces off the wall of the circle and clatters to the ground inside it.

"Algiz." calls out a voice I've never heard before, but Hanam looks noticeably shocked.

Berserker hurls himself at us, but he's repelled by another magic circle, as more and more of the things appear around him. There's a similar pebble in the center of each one - how long has he been setting this up!?

"Ehwaz." continues the hooded, blue-cloaked man as he hops down from his perch on the roof of a nearby building. "Sowilo, mannaz, fehu."

The magic circles flare red, merging together into a single shape. The man that I can only assume to be Caster grins as he strolls up to the circle, and taps his wooden staff to the edge of it. "Ansuz." Three lines appear in the center of the oversized circle, in the shape of a sort of bent looking letter 'F'.

In the circle, Berserker continues to flail around, hammering at the barrier - and under the force of his fist, cracks start to appear in the magic wall.

The blue-cloaked man gives a low whistle. "Man, if he still had both arms, he'd probably break free before I could trigger the thing."

On the other side of the circle, Mordred extracts himself from an abandoned bar and scowls at Caster. "I had him."

Caster chuckles. "Oh sure, give him another few hours of bleeding and he'd be down. But he revived himself from death a few too many times during the war for my liking! Let's just be thorough about this, yeah?"

"Fine," the Saber grumbles.

"An offering to the great god of wisdom - [Ochd Deug Odin]!" He yells.

And then, the whole circle erupts into a column of purple flames. In the center, I can barely make out the silhouette of Heracles as he crumbled into ash. Caster doesn't relax for an instant - but finally the blaze dies down leaving only charred ground. A few seconds later, the man finally drops his guard and lets out a bark of laughter.

"Whew! Glad that's over! Saber, Assassin, you guys are looking more sane than normal. And as for you two, welcome to Fuyuki, I guess." He lowers his hood, revealing a youthful face, blue hair, and red eyes. "Servant Caster, Cu Chulainn. Nice to meet you guys."

* * *

**A/N:**

**A little early because I have to do a bit of a road trip tomorrow.**

**Big laser he hasn't seen before gave Cu incentive to investigate. Because it happened sooner than last loop, he got there in time to ****steal Mordred's kill****.**

**Ochd Deug Odin is from Cu's official mats - it's his other NP that we don't see in story because it's stupid powerful and he's just a 3-star.**

**Next chapter Monday.**

* * *

**Review Response Corner:**

NoNameAvailable Bis said:

_Ah! I knew Berserker would get us at least one Bad End! I mean how could he not?_

**Herc is stronk. Luckily, Salter did most of the work before our heroes arrived (blinding him, removing his skin, and dropping him to one life).**

_And yeah, Grand Servants are... weird. Romulus probably being the weirdest one since he's only a Lancer to begin with due to a technicality. Meanwhile, Reinhart being nerfed just by being summoned as a Servant from another reality does make quite a bit of sense, especially since a lot (all?) of his Blessings seem tied to the world - his original one, that is. He's probably a classic case of "would be an absolute monster if summoned with Home Advantage, is significantly more manageable otherwise"._

**He'd still have _some _of his blessings - but he might lose the lesser known ones, like the one that lets him tell the difference between sugar and salt at aa glance.**

_Now, depending on where Subaru does reload... I wonder if summoning Mordred is a sure thing every time. Probably? Oh well, we'll see._

**With this catalyst, in this circumstance, he could only summon mo-san.**

Crown of Reaper said:

_OK, is Barusu going to die in every other chapter? I know that the anine is also know as "Subaru has literaly the worst time ever the anime" and FGO has some of the deadliest enemies but come on, give the guy a break (or don't, my inner Kirie loves it.)_

**Death frequency should decrease after this. He's got his feet underneath him now, and several reliable allies.**

_Also, would Barusu qualify to become a Servant? He would probably become a Caster with E rank Luck or lower and a skill similar to Kiritsugu's "Grace of the Holy Grail". What else do you think he would have?_

**Subaru can be summoned in two different classes if you were to do it in Lugnica where he eventually will have a legend. One is Caster, "The legend of Natsuki Subaru", and the other is Foreigner, "The historical Natsuki Subaru". Similar to Karl and Charlemagne in Extella Link.**

**Caster Subaru has EX luck and one of his Noble Phantasms is "Impossible Invincible Hero", essentially Clairvoyance, Eye of the Mind, and Instinct all rolled into one skill. He's stupid OP because Subaru's legend is that he's this infallible hero who was always in the right place at the right time and always knew what to do. He DOES NOT have [Return by Death].**

**Foreigner Subaru has E luck and all around mediocre stats. But he does have [Return by Death], so he can still trial-and-error his way through the grail war. **

**Both do have [Affection of the Witch A+].**

**There's also a few different Subaru Alters from the IF stories, but we don't talk about them.**

Guest said:

_Gonna be honest I really wanna see someone like Rem show up_

**Rem won't be making her appearance for a long while. Subaru is a living catalyst for all the prior holders of his authorities, so he's gotta get them out of the pipe before he can stand a chance of summoning someone he's on good terms with. (alsoremdoesn'tqualifyforheroicspiritsoshe'sgottabecheatedinlikeshikisorry)**

_Just because of how shocking it'll be for subaru to just break down apologizing for essentially failing to save Lugnica although not really his fault._

**Lugnica wasn't destroyed or anything. Subaru got erased, not necessarily anyone else. They'll muddle through, probably.**

nanox876 said:

_So does the pruning phenomena take care of the timelines where Subaru dies in?_

**Kind of? He just hops back to the same timeline right after the most recent quantum lock, but that does mean everything beyond that point is erased - so kind of like being pruned I guess.**


	11. Chapter 11

**11: Hooray for percussive maintenance!**

* * *

It takes a few minutes to get Cu up to speed on our situation - there's a lot to go through, with Chaldea, Hanam, Mash, Mordred, and myself all having unique problems at the moment.

"Huh. And here I had you mistaken for Saber. You really are the spitting image of your 'father', huh?" Cu says, and Mordred breaks down into the same bout of villainous laughter he did in my previous loop. "Still, to think this place had become a singularity… what a mess."

"And here we are with only one servant on our side with regular access to his Noble Phantasm!" I say with a forced laugh.

"Oi, who said I was on your side?" Caster says, his eyes narrowing.

Shit. He's closer to me than the others. Even though they're all quickly ready for battle-!

"Pfft, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" He says with a laugh. "No need to get so tense! I mean, the Grail's obviously _incredibly _cursed, so it's not like there's any point in fighting for it anymore. Besides, I only went along with the summoning because I wanted a good fight in the first place - and in your current situation you guys ain't it."

"Oi, I was seriously preparing myself for death there! That wasn't funny!" I say with a strained smile. "On another note, I keep hearing about this 'Grail' thing, but I'm still pretty clueless about it, beyond the fact that there's a war over it or something. Can someone explain that to me?"

"Well, apparently someone caught the blood of Christ in a cup when he was being executed two thousand years ago, and so the cup became magic or something. For some reason or another, Father had a good number of his knights go out searching for the thing." Mordred says. "Galahad was the one who found it, but it just wound up killing him, so the search was called off."

"Wait, wait wait!" Romani yells, popping in on the holographic communicator again. "I thought Galahad got taken up into heaven, not killed!"

"...Is there a difference?"

""Yes there's a difference!"" Hanam and Romani both yell at him.

...As someone who has both been sent to another world and killed, I can confirm that the two are different.

"Anyway," Cu says, "at some point some mages created a 'Holy Grail' in Fuyuki, which was basically just a wish granting device. It summons seven servants, who fight amongst themselves to claim the thing - thus, 'Holy Grail War'."

"...But why summon them in the first place, though? Does the grail need some kind of weird blood sacrifice to do it's thing?" I say with a raised eyebrow.

"That's because the wish granting isn't actually the purpose of the ritual." Says Romani. "The real goal is to use the disturbance in the fabric of reality created when all seven servants are killed in order to hitch a ride to the Throne of Heroes - and by extension, the Root.

The whole wish-granting aspect is a bit of an unintended side-effect, really. A lot of mana is returned to the grail when each servant dies, and with enough mana all kinds of weird stuff becomes possible. That's actually how command spells work - they throw a bunch of mana at the servant to get them to do something they wouldn't otherwise be able to, or would not want to do."

"Huh. Good to know, I guess." I say. Not really sure what this 'Root' thing is, but that can probably wait. "So, what now? I mean, we're here and all, but it seems things are already wrecked. If the Grail is horribly cursed, we can't use it to repair the timeline, right?"

"Well, there's good news on that front!" says a woman I haven't seen before as she pops into the communication hologram. "We don't need to repair the timeline - to start with, the timeline isn't so fragile that something on this level could actually topple it. Singularities like this would normally be pretty easily cleaned up by the Planet's own defense mechanisms."

"It sure doesn't look like it's cleaning itself up…" I mutter.

"And _that_ is our big clue!" the woman says with a smile. "Sustaining a Singularity like this would take either a particularly unique Noble Phantasm, or-!"

"Enough mana to imitate such an effect!" Mash exclaims. "As expected of the genius Da Vinci-chan, you've already got it figured out!" Eh? Da Vinci? As in the painter? Wasn't he a guy, though?

"Exactly! So, in that case, you won't need to _use _the Grail. Just removing it from the singularity should be enough - either by destroying it, or just rayshifting it out."

"So I get to pillage Father's treasures again, huh? Nice!" Says Mordred with a grin.

Oi, is this guy really a 'Heroic' Spirit?

* * *

"So, eliminate Saber and claim the Grail. How do we do that?" I ask. "If she beat Heracles, then I feel like going into this without a plan will get us killed."

"Hm. Well, first we've got to clean up the extras." Says Cu. "I'm not keen on getting attacked from behind by Lancer when we go to confront her, and Archer will need to be taken out before we can get to the cave where the Grail and Saber are camped out."

"...Who are Lancer and Archer, anyway?" asks Mash. "Do either of you know their true names?"

"Lancer never revealed her true name to my knowledge, but her Mystic Eyes of Petrification make me believe that she is Medusa." Says Hanam.

"...Yeah, that's a bit of a dead giveaway, huh?" I mutter. Ugh, at least I don't have to figure that part out the hard way.

"Archer's a total mystery, though. The bastard keeps pulling out Noble Phantasms that definitely don't belong to him, and he seems to have endless copies of each." Caster complains. "I've had my own foster father's sword fired at me from that bow of his at least three times in this mess of a war!"

"Caladbolg was a prototype to several Holy Swords… could that be-?" Romani asks.

"Nah, It's definitely Caladbolg. I've heard the guy use its true name. And he's also got the Shield of Ajax, and Beowulf's sword, and a whole bunch of other ones." he continues to grumble. "Well, you guys won't have to worry about it. I'll handle him. As long as Saber is busy with you guys, I should be able to finally finish the fight against him."

"That's stupidly risky, though!" I say. "Wouldn't it be better to push our numbers advantage?"

"Sure, but I've been trying to pin this guy down into a proper one-on-one _all friggen war!_ I got summoned because I wanted to fight, and I'm gonna get my fight, dammit!" He says. "I mean, with three servants who have support from a master, you guys should be able to handle her, right? Hell, you've got the guy who killed her in your group, it shouldn't be a huge deal."

"Yeah, but what if Archer beats you and comes after us!?"

Cu _laughs. _"Kid, I'm the Hound of Ulster. I once held off the whole army of Connacht for three months all on my own! Even if this chump _is _somehow my better in combat, I can definitely stall him for a day or two."

"Well, before we get to all that, the first thing to deal with is Lancer, right?" asks Romani.

"Nope. The first thing we've got to deal with is… her." He says, pointing at Mash menacingly.

"Wait, I thought you said you were joking about fighting us!" I yell.

"No, that's not the problem, Master." Says Hanam. "The issue is…"

"...That I can't use my Noble Phantasm, right?" Mash concludes with a frown.

"That's probably right, yeah." Says Mordred. "Unless you can activate that shield, you'll just end up annihilated the moment Father gets serious. Plus, considering that Father can freely use his Noble Phantasm and I can't, I'm probably going to need Skull Guy to be doing something other than carrying Master around all fight."

"...So shouldn't you tell her the thing's True Name, then?" I ask. "You know what it is, right?"

"So you noticed, huh? You're actually pretty insightful, huh Master?" He says. Oi, 'actually'? What's that supposed to mean? "Well, I'm not telling. That guy must have had a good reason not to tell her, or he would have done it. I may have only just met shieldy here, but her personality is infinitely preferable to his!"

"Thanks, I think?" Mash says. "Anyway, if Mordred won't tell us, then how..?"

"Hm. Well, it's not the kind of thing that can be taught." Caster says, stroking his chin. "We'll just put you in a situation where you _have _to use it. So, no hard feelings, but I'm gonna try to kill you now, and I don't want Saber or Assassin to try to help!"

"So you were going to fight us after all!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Late by a day because I wound up really tired yesterday for some reason or another and I do most of my writing in the evening.**

**Mostly just talking this chapter, but that's how it be sometimes.**

**Next chapter Friday.**

* * *

**REVIEW RESPONSE CORNER**

MrNONAME said:

_Now I'm really like this series and patiently wait for you to upload whenever you do but I wanted to know if you uploaded frequently to get the story out faster or to establish a pattern since most other fan fictions take a few months per upload bit are longer. Theses are shorter but more frequent. Works because cliffhangers are also more frequent for bad endings._

**I'm trying to make a habit of writing frequently, basically. Furthermore, I have the kind of creeping perfectionist anxiety that hobbles my writing speed the longer I take between chapters. So if I wait more than a few days it usually ends up being the same length but taking much longer to actually write. **

**Perfectionism may look good in his shiny shoes, but he's a little bit of an asshole, and no one invites him to their pool parties. -zefrank1, _An Invocation for Beginnings_.**

Guest said:

_What would Subaru's noble phantasm be_

_Just summoning the witch of envy would be a cool idea but I feel that the legend would avoid referencing her so would I wonder what it would be since most servants have something flashy to show off and although Impossible invincible hero is cool it wouldn't be flashy._

**He's got his authorities, though they may get distorted in various ways due to the misunderstanding of people in Lugnica, depending on _when _he's summoned. (i.e. if he were summoned before Petelgeuse died, [Invisible Providence] might revert to [Unseen Hand], gaining extra limbs and losing its ability to pass through things.)**

Crown of Reaper said:

_I just realized something. How would Gilgamesh react to Barusu? He has the smell of the Witch but what does that mean in this world? He smells like envy, like a snake, or what? 'Cause something like that is probably how Gil is going to call Barusu as 'Mongrel' won't suffice._

**Not sure yet. I've got... quite a lot of time to decide.**

_Will there be another summon before Orleans? __Will the Regend himself, the saviour of France make an appearance? Dragons a just bigger swallows after all._

**Proooobably not just throwing in Kojiro for the meme. His compatability with Subaru doesn't seem too high.**

**I have been contemplating Beowulf, though. He's one of the few Dragonslayers who doesn't get to be part of the dragonslayer party that is Orleans.**

SING MY ANGEL SING said:

_I want Juice to be summoned for Orleans and have him and Gilles battle over who loves the better witch. _

_Now that I think about it, wouldn't Juice be summoned at his prime? So would the Juice before Pandora pulled the ol' switcheroo be his prime? So Subaru would potentially meet the Juice who was sane? That'd be some cool interactions, like Subaru being confused as to who he is, and Juice possibly thanking Subaru for killing him._

**Petelgeuse is in a similar situation to Gilles, who can be summoned as his pre-madness and post-madness selves. As for which will appear and when, that's a secret.**

Wolfclaw661 said:

_Do you think Subaru would have access to some of the spells he cast/created together with Beatrice like Murak or E.M.T and E.M.M. If you argued that it was Beatrice's skill and knowledge that carried those spells which is why Subaru can't use them that would make sense. I'm assuming that since Shamak was the only spell he has casted by himself is why he can only use that one. Thanks for the great chapter._

**Correct. He doesn't (yet) know how to cast them without Beako doing the heavy lifting.**

Guest said:

_So caster Subaru could theoretically lose against a Pionner of the Stars while Foreigner Subaru would just die a lot?_

**Correct. Though Foreigner Subaru is possible to eliminate nonlethally, while Caster could clairvoyance that shit.**

framfrit said:

_Not sure about that pruning point i think the comment was referencing how the timelines continue after Subaru's death as its more multiverse travel to a parallel timeline than time travel and ain't that just cheery for certain timelines like the Subaru suicide one in arc 2 and all the fics that have return by death be abused through multi suicide for info gathering._

**It's left vague in the source material whether it's time travel or kaleidoscope type travel. Echidna thinks it's the latter, but as far as I can tell that's just _her _interpretation. For all we know RbD is actually just a weirdly limited/implemented precognition ability.**

nanox876 said:

_Will they retrieve EMIYA's pendant to summon him later and use his access to Noble Phantasms to serve as catalysts for other servants?_

**Probably not. Because of the power situation in chaldea, servant summoning isn't something that can happen willy-nilly (also I don't want to bloat the cast too much).**

_Will all the events (Limited Time/Interludes/etc.) be covered in chapters or will it only be for the important ones while the others are mentioned as Noodle Incidents?_

**Some. Kara no Kyoukai and Vengeful Demon's Wail will probably be covered; GudaGuda and Moon Goddess will not. They _might _get omakes if I decide I want to though.**

Guest said:

_Interesting though you need to sharpen your writing_

**I don't mind constructive criticism. It helps me get better at writing.**

**This is _not _constructive criticism. If you want someone's writing to improve, you've got to give more details than a single word that doesn't even apply literally to writing. If you said something like "improve your pacing", that might help, but "sharpen" does not.**


	12. Chapter 12

**12: Lord Chaldeas**

* * *

Even as a Caster, it's pretty clear that Cu Chulainn far surpasses Mash in combat ability. Frankly, this can't even be called a fight. He's not even casting any spells - just utterly dominating her in a melee smackdown, wielding his staff as if it were a spear.

As expected of the original holder of the Gae Bolg, I suppose. My knowledge of the weapon may be limited to videogames, but considering it's usually thrown into the same class as things like Lævateinn, Excalibur, and Gungnir, I figure it's probably a pretty big deal, right?

In any case, not having his signature weapon doesn't seem to be causing Cu any trouble. It's all Mash can do to deflect all of his attacks, to say nothing of delivering blows of her own. What's worse, I can see the battle wearing on her. She didn't get much of a break, considering Hanam, Heracles, and Cu have all picked fights with us back-to-back.

Finally, Cu pauses, frowning at Mash as she all but collapses, leaning on her shield and panting heavily.

"Man, you're still not getting it, huh?" He says. "In that case, then… think fast, girlie!"

A bolt of fire streaks towards me, and I react instinctively, my spirit contract flaring to life - but Avalon isn't Beako, and it can't reconstruct one of our spells with only my half to go off of.

"Senpai!"

But somehow, despite her exhaustion, Mash manages to block it at the last possible second.

"Nice save, Mash-tan!" I call out, carefully watching Caster for his next attack.

"Fine then." He mutters. "This should seal it… burn to the ground with your Master!"

The runes engraved on his staff glow even brighter, and I can feel the sensation of imminent death pressing down on me.

"My spell is the coffin of flames, a giant of verdant thorn."

Damn, is this a Noble Phantasm-!? With her in this state, Mash will be…

"Retribution, the forest that will purify human misery-!"

I clutch my chest and grit my teeth, activating [Cor Leonis]. Mash's strength surges, and her stance solidifies - even as my own lungs seize up, exhaustion nearly driving me to my knees. Slowly, desperately, I heave one breath after another, even as a blanket of uncertainty and fear tightens around my throat.

"Befall the [Wicker Man]! And behold, as both good and evil bite the dust-!" Cu Chulainn roars, and from behind him, a vaguely humanoid, towering frame of wood, straw, and metal emerges from the ground.

As the Wicker Man ignites, Mash glances back at me, fear clear in her face.

"D-don't give up, Mash-tan!" I say, flashing her a forced smile and a thumbs up.

She takes a deep breath, and exhales slowly, her eyes locking onto the advancing giant of flame.

"...Beginning pseudo-deployment of Noble Phantasm! Haaaah!"

Intricate blue circles erupt from Mash's shield, and brick by brick, the ephemeral image of a pristine white wall takes shape. The Wicker Man topples forwards, crashing into the bricks in a burst of flame and shrapnel- but to no avail.

The wall holds strong. Caster's Noble Phantasm burns away in a cloud of cinders, and the marble bricks of Mash's wall don't even have a single scorch mark to show for it.

"...I did it." Mash says with a small sigh of relief- and then, a smile lights up her face, "...I did it!"

"You had to fudge the true name, though, right?" Says Caster, making her smile drop again.

"That's right… I've still got a good distance to go."

"W-well, it's still good progress, you know!" I say, patting her shoulder. "Besides, not knowing the Noble Phantasm's name just means we get to make up our own cool name for it!"

"E-eh? Well, I guess I am moving in the right direction…" She says with a small smile. "B-but, um, make up our own? Is that... allowed?"

"Sure! After all, it'll sound cooler than just yelling 'Noble Phantasm goooo!', right?" I reply. "Something like [Final Bastion - Last Refuge of Humanity] would sound pretty heroic, right?"

"Master, a name like that… feels like a bit too much." Hanam interjects.

"Eh? How so?" I ask. "I mean, considering we're saving the world here, doesn't it sound about right?"

"Um, I think I'm happy that you have such high expectations of me, but…" Mash says nervously.

"Too over the top, huh?" I say with a sigh. "Sorry, I've got the soul of a little kid, so stuff like this happens. I'll try and think of a better name."

"N-no! It's not that I thought it wasn't cool, but more about…" She says, looking down. "Er… It seems like being constantly reminded of what's at stake, would get a bit too stressful. It's not that I don't want to meet your expectations, Senpai! It's just..."

Ah, damn. I messed up again. Mash isn't used to fighting, or even violent by nature. It should have been obvious that she'd want something a bit more subdued. "Right, I guess I got too excited…" I say with a forced chuckle. "Sorry about that. Still, not having a name for your special attack feels a bit weird…"

"How about [Lord Chaldea], then?" Interjects Mordred. He scratches his cheek as we all glance at him. "I mean, you guys are from that Chaldea place, so we can just name it after that, right?"

"...Where'd the 'Lord' part come from?" I wonder aloud.

"That sounds… correct, more or less!" Mash says, smiling brightly. Ever so slightly, I see her posture straighten up, and she stands just a little taller than before. "Yeah. [Lord Chaldeas]... that sounds right!"

"Seriously, where did the 'Lord' part come from?" I ask again.

"That's great. Hearing you name that shield after Chaldeas… really warms my heart, Mash." Says Doctor Roman over his holographic link. "And, more importantly, congratulations on getting it to manifest so soon! I really felt like that was going to be more of a long term thing… Anyway, now we'll have an excuse to have a party once this mess is over!"

"Doctor, you were going to throw a party after this regardless of how much progress I made, weren't you?" Mash says with a small smile.

"Well, we're gonna be saving the world here, you know! It only makes sense to celebrate!"

"That weak-looking guy's words of praise aside, it'll do until you figure out its true name." Says Cu with a sigh.

"Eh!? I got called weak by someone I just met!?" Roman whines.

"More importantly, though… Oi, kid." the Caster turns his attention to me. "What the hell did you do? A spell to take her exhaustion onto yourself… what kind of useless magecraft is that, huh? If you're gonna use scapegoat-type stuff, at least have the brains to use a doll or something!"

I scratch the back of my head. "Well, to start with, [Cor Leonis] isn't magecraft. It's kind of complicated, but I spent a bit of time in 'another world', and I got abilities called [Authorities] while I was there. They don't cost any mana to use, so I can still make use of them even though my circuits are damaged."

"Wait, wait, you never mentioned something this crazy, Subaru!" Exclaims Romani. "Doing something like that without mana is-!"

"Yeah, yeah, it sounds kind of nuts. But on the other hand, they're pretty limited in application. [Cor Leonis] lets me take people's burdens onto myself, but only so long as I've got an emotional connection with them - and even then, it's not like there's some kind of safeguard to keep me from killing myself using it or anything." I say with a shrug.

"Senpai… That telekinesis you used, to lift that rock off of me… was that also..?" Mash asks.

"That's the other one I've got - I call it [Invisible Providence]." I say, lifting a nearby chunk of concrete to demonstrate. "I can manifest one or two hands that only I can see. They've got decent grip strength and can lift heavy things pretty easily, but they've got a max range of about three meters…"

"So it's the same type of stand as Star Platinum." Says Romani.

...Unbidden, an image of Regulus asking me if I'm approaching him comes to mind.

"Pfffft! N-no, it's way slower, unfortunately. I can throw a punch with it, but 'ora ora' type stuff is off the table." I reply.

"Ah, how disappointing…" mutters Romani. "And that clairvoyance-type thing you've been doing? Is that also an authority?"

"...I can't tell you anything about that. Bad things happen if I do."

Also, I just plain don't know. [Return by Death] certainly behaves like an authority - an arbitrary, seemingly invincible ability that loses a large amount of its effectiveness when someone figures it out. But it could also be a [Divine Protection], or something that I gained as a result of traveling between worlds.

"Hm." Cu nods. "Well, we can unpack that later. For now, we've got a snake to hunt. I'll give you all some runes to boost magic resistance, so hold still, would you?"

* * *

Five hours of combing through abandoned streets later, with a small army of defeated skeletons in our wake, we arrive in Lancer's territory. Terrified statues dot the churchyard - a few have limbs severed, or twisted out of shape before the petrification. One man is clutching at his throat, a rocky cleft visible beneath his fingers. A statue of a woman is lying on the ground, with a hole punched clean through her chest leaving the ground visible.

On the doorstep of the church, a stone child is frozen, desperately trying to shove stone entrails back into the fallen body of an old woman.

Each and every statue is unique in its atrocity. Each one a twisted work of 'art', displaying a unique manner of death.

Monster. Lancer, Medusa, is without a doubt, a true monster. Not like the Mabeasts who were just overpowered animals. Not like the skeletons, who just hunt whatever's moving. She chose this. Consciously decided to be a monster, to inflict misery. And she reveled in it, enjoyed it, glorified in it.

Without a doubt, hunting her down was the right thing to do.

Only...

"...Where the hell is she!?" yells Mordred.

"Tch. I should have figured she'd go into hiding." mutters Cu. "There's no way she didn't notice Red's Noble Phantasm earlier, and she probably saw mine too. And if she figured out Berserker is down…"

"Indeed. Say what you like about her, but Lancer is far from the type to pick fights she can't win." mutters Hanam.

"So, eliminating her before we fight Archer is…" mutters Mash.

"Not something she's gonna let us do. Goddammit!" Spits Caster.

I sigh. "So… should we just go after Saber, then, and if Lancer shows up, she shows up?"

"I guess so." Says Cu. "We'll need to wait a night, though - I'm gonna want to make a few more preparations."

"That gives us time to recharge your command spell, so that's probably for the best, Senpai." says Mash.

"Mm. Let's go then." I mutter. "We'll definitely be able to find at least one building back in town that's still standing - let's not stay here. I won't be able to sleep in a place like this."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Lancer: "Four servants and someone who smells like PURE EVIL on their way here? Haha nope."**

**Another kinda meh chapter, but it's already late, so I'll put it out now.**

**Next chapter monday probably.**

* * *

**REVIEW RESPONSE CORNER**

Guest said:

_I really love this story and I hope to see Hans analysis about Subaru in London_

**God I wish London wasn't so far away... **

Crown of Reaper said:

_Say, how does compatability work? Does it have to do something with personality?_

**It's mostly personality, if there's a catalyst that can summon multiple servants. If there's no catalyst, then basically, the master becomes a catalyst - personality is a strong factor, but things like being connected to the servant in life can do it too (in subaru's case, he's a living catalyst for all the prior holders of his authorities, so not using a catalyst is a terrible idea).**

_Also, I'm not sure about Barusu's compatability, but can you put Okita Alter in the story? I want to see Barusu's reaction when Okita falls asleep mid-battle._

**I love Okitan, but I don't know what circumstance would make her show up pre-lostbelts. I mean, it's possible, but I'm aiming to keep cast bloat to a minimum.**

Rinto said:

_I really enjoy your fic! Though I'm also a bit surprised Heracles lost just like that. Wouldn't God Hand give him more lives?_

**Herc tore off his own skin when he was getting corrupted by the grail, which apparently disables god hand (he does this in FSN Heaven's Feel route). Herc is metal as fuck.**

**Also Ochd Deug Odin disables Noble Phantasms in its vicinity, so Cu had accounted for him still having it (though, again, he didn't).**

_And that Artoria fought him but didn't kill him, is she strong enough to repulse Heracles of all people nonlethally? He is a berserker, so wouldn't he just keep coming?_

**Watch the second Heaven's Feel movie fight between them. That's more or less how it went down here.**

SING MY ANGEL SING said:

_You mentioned in the previous chapter about how Rem would have to be cheated into Chaldea like Shiki, so would it be like the KnK event? If so, when would the Lugunica singularity be set, pre or post Subaru appearing? I can only imagine Rem being caster or the more likely Berserker because of her oni state. She could have Hero's Assisstant as a skill or something like Bryn has. Also, would the singularity have it's own Subaru? Double Subaru shenanigans?_

**Stuff like this is not gonna happen for a LONG while, so I'm far from decided as to how it will be implemented. **

Guest said:

_Nice chapter. I wonder how would Subaru react if he summoned himself (Foreigner)_

**Subaru: "Someone totally useless came!"**

**Foreigner: "I got summoned by someone useless!"**

**Subaru is the worst possible master for foreigner subaru, because he has nothing to offer. Ideally, Foreigner would want someone like Bazzett as a master, since she could make up for his uselessness in combat.**

**Caster Subaru wouldn't mind the safety net of RbD, though.**

Guest said:

_What is the power rankings_

**This is a very vague question, and I'm not sure who you're asking about...**

**To start, I'll say that powerlevels are bullshit. Just look at Gilgamesh - he's without a doubt the strongest servant, but he's also a total jobber who loses a bunch of fights in his various appearances in Fate because he's so stupidly arrogant. **

**Nonetheless, if you REALLY want power rankings, in terms of characters who might appear in this fic, in BROAD CATEGORIES, it's probably something like:**

**Solomon/Tiamat/Satella/Other Beasts**

**King Hassan/Romulus Quirinus/Other Grands**

**Gilgamesh**

**Heracles(Archer)/Karna/Reid Astrea/Enkidu/Artoria(with a good enough mana source)/etc.**

**Cu/Heracles(Berserker)/Reinhart/Achilles/Siegfried/etc.**

**Mash/Jeanne****/Gawain/Mordred****/Medea/Petelgeuse/etc.**

**Fran/Astolfo/Medusa/etc.**

**Cursed Arm/Jack/Gilles/etc.**

**Shakespeare/Hans/etc.**

**Subaru**

* * *

**In terms of people currently in Fuyuki, powerlevels are something like:**

**Salter**

**Cu**

**EMIYA**

**Mordred (because of limited NP)**

**Mash**

**Medusa (Because of the magic resistance runes cu passed out)**

**Hanam**

**Subaru**


	13. Chapter 13

**13: Victory!**

* * *

In the end, we make camp in an abandoned shopping mall. Given the associated cliches, I'm ready for the place to be crawling with undead - but they turn out to have cleared out quite some time ago. Of course, the whole mall has still been thoroughly destroyed. A few lucky finds of bottled water aside, any hopes of finding, say, an intact mattress, or food, were in vain.

"Guess we can't get too lucky, huh?" I mutter with a wry smile as we settle into a burned-out clothing store.

"Well, if you're starving, I can go catch some skeletons and we can make some bone broth or something." says Mordred with a shrug.

"There's so much wrong there that I don't know where to begin…" I mumble.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" The saber says with a laugh. "I'm uncivilized, but I'm not _that _bad."

Mordred stretches, and his armor dematerializes in a cloud of blue lights, leaving behind a set of red underclothes. A red loincloth, previously worn under the Saber's armor, and a red chest binding. For her breasts. Because Mordred is a woman.

"...So you were a girl after all," I mumble.

"Oi, who are you calling a little girl!? I'll kill you."

"No, he didn't say 'little'..." Mash says.

"I'm more confused that you didn't correct us…" I mutter. "We've been calling you a guy this whole time."

"Eh? Just how long do you think I lived as a man? You think I'm gonna get all pissy 'cause you're treating me like everyone treated me in life?" She says, rolling her eyes.

"Eh… well I guess that's understandable." I reply.

Cu wanders over at around this point. He raises an eyebrow at Mordred, but doesn't comment further. "I've set up some basic defensive runes, so it should be safe for you guys to get some sleep. I, on the other hand, need to prepare some more runes."

"Thanks, Caster." I say. "Any clue where Hanam went?"

"Assassin wanted to run a few errands. That demon of his apparently didn't pick up after himself, so he has to go track down some of his misplaced dirks. He's down to five or so, now." He replies. "Also, he wanted to see if he could figure out where Lancer ran off to. If he can make sure she's not gonna be hanging out with Saber and Archer, that'll take some stress off of us."

...What the hell!? "He'll get killed! We have to-!"

"Relax, kid. Assassin's smart enough not to pick a head-on fight with another servant, especially with his arm missing." Caster says with a chuckle. "Besides, he's got strong presence concealment. He could probably dance around in Saber's face and she wouldn't notice."

"...Fine." I say, sighing. "I'm gonna yell at you if he dies, though."

"Yeah, yeah. Have some faith in your servant, would you? You'd never survive a grail war acting like that."

* * *

There's no sunlight when morning arrives. The sky is still blanketed with smoke, and dark red light is the only thing visible - that and the still blazing fires in some parts of the ruined city.

Still, I need to do my best today as well! To overcome every obstacle, and save the world or whatever! And that means..!

"...I need to start the day right! Mash-tan, Mordred, it's time! For! Radio Calisthenics!"

"Radio caliwhat now?" Says the knight.

"Eh? You mean the daily Japanese exercise broadcast, Senpai?"

"Mm, mm, that's right!" I say. "It's important to get your daily stretches and muscle training done, every day!"

"Oh, so it's just warmups, then. Jeez, say it plainly, instead of using weird giant words!"

"But do you really think we'll be able to get a signal, Senpai?" Mash asks.

"Heh! Don't worry! One of my secret abilities… I have the entire routine memorized!" I say, flashing a thumbs up. "So just follow my lead!"

"Wow! That's amazing, senpai!"

"...No it's really not." I mutter, scratching the back of my head.

* * *

...Calisthenics still isn't the same without Emilia-tan, huh? According to the Old Man I've still got two-and-a-half years to go… which can be a hell of a long time with [Return by Death].

Well, I started these exercises knowing she wasn't present. And I know that Emilia wouldn't want me to give into despair just from her absence. So let's finish strong, for her sake!

"And then raise your arms to the sky, and shout 'victory'!" I conclude.

"V-victory!" "Victory!" "Victory!" shout Mash, Mordred, and-

"Eh, Caster, when did you join us?" I ask the blue haired man.

"Hm? A few minutes ago. I finally finished the last of my rune array, so I decided to hop in." He says. Hang on, he was up all night and he just finished!? Runes are hard, huh?

"Not that your bizarre ritual wasn't entertaining," says Director Animusphere as she pops into existence nearby. She's covered in bandages, and I can clearly see the back of a medical chair behind her, and an IV drip off to her right. "But we don't have time to waste here. Remember, you don't have any food supplies, and if we have to rayshift you out of there it may take months, or even a year before we can get UN approval to send people in again!"

"Wait, were you able to get in touch with the outside world!?" I exclaim.

"...No, communications still seem to be malfunctioning. Even the magical communications with the Clock Tower and Atlas Academy are malfunctioning. We managed to get a response from the Wandering Sea, but it just came back as garbled nonsense per usual."

"Mm. Even the Magi, huh..?" I mutter. "Well, we'll be heading out as soon as Hanam is back, so for now we're just killing time."

"And when will he be back!?" The director yells.

"Eh? How should I know?"

"Use your telepathy! He's your Servant, right!?" She screeches.

"Ah, come to think of that, there was an ability like that, wasn't there?" I mutter.

"Senpai, it's not healthy for her to raise her blood pressure right now, so please stop!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Well, it's still Monday in Hawaii, I think.**

**Bit of a short chapter, but I'm tired, and I wanna go to bed, so let's end it here.**

**Next chapter Friday probably.**

* * *

**REVIEW RESPONSE CORNER:**

Raj8 said:

_I can completely understand keeping the cast more limited and I approve, it says a lot that Subaru and Mash have barely interacted from Mash's perspective after all._

**Ah... I gotta write more downtime, huh?**

_Overall I'll be completely fine if you go with the interpretation that Servants can't be summoned inside Chaldea as otherwise you get the issues on why they don't just summon Media or a similar Caster who can drain a lot of energy from a layline and then Support multiple Servants at once. Especially if it's in a place where they can non-lethally drain from humans. For example in Rome if Media non-lethally drained even a 100K people she'd probably be able to support dozens of Servants in cost._

**They'll probably be... present, but not many. There'll be reasons for it.**

_Ouch I knew Hanam was weak especially without his NP and missing an Arm, but weaker than Mash. Truly Cursed Arm has it rough._

**One hand and daggers makes it a rough time for him.**

**Powerlevels are bullshit, though. He might still win from sheer experience.**

123ABIR123 said:

_Your fic is amazing you should update more , _

**I'm writing as fast as I can! Please have mercy on me!**

_Will evil subarus from the IF light novels will make an appearance_

***Villainous Laughter***

JD91B said:

_Hey maybe you could make omakes or something with summoned characters from Re:zero for lols. That would be funny to read. Thanks for the chapter._

**There's an omake planned for the end of the arc, but it's not _quite _that.**

SING MY ANGEL SING said:

_Seeing as you mentioned both Reid and Reinhard having a chance of appearing, I can only imagine the latter's reaction to his highly respected ancestor's real personality._

**something something never meet your heroes.**

NoNameAvailable Bis said:

_Lesson of the day: when Cu wants a fight, Cu gets a fight. Hang in there, Mash!_

**Cu: "Disengage skill? why would I need that useless thing?"**

_... and somehow now I'm really eager to see the KnK event covered. Still, not for a while, I suppose, and you're right about not bloating the cast. That's often a pretty big issue with FGO stories, unsurprisingly._

**Cast bloat is the death of many a fic. "And x was there too" does not a good story make.**

Crown of Reaper said:

_Nothing happen in this chapter except Mash getting her NP. I'm not complaining but to be honest, I was hoping for them to fight Medusa but yeah, four Servants and someone who smells PURE EVIL is a very good reason to haul ass._

**EVERYONE wanted that fight. Everyone except Medusa, who was the one who got to choose if it happened.**

_Say, is the Emiya family at least coming to Barusu's Chaldea? I haven't played FGO personaly(it's not in my contry, BS) so I'm not sure when the Zero Accel event happens in the timeline. While Barusu isn't very good with magecraft that doesn't mean that he can't be good with GUN._

**This is the era of the internet! There are WAYS, my friend. (You can use a vpn/emulator if you so choose. On the other hand, gacha is bad civ, soooo)**

**Accel Zero Order is I think post america, pre camelot**

_Sorry for keep sugesting Servants, it's just that some deserve more spotlight than they get, both in game and fanfics._

**Well, it all comes down to what fits in the plot. Subaru has bad affinity for Emiya, so the guy probably won't appear for some time yet.**

Guest said:

_For some reason while I was reading this chapter I suddenly thought "EMIYA Alter and Subaru as Servant and Master would be a total disaster". What do you think?_

**Emiya alter wouldn't know what to do with such a useless servant (lol). In all seriousness though, they'd probably figure out a way to get along, albeit at the expense of subaru going full sidestory edgelord.**

IhevMelons9 said:

_I can't wait to see the servants(especially the female servants) react to the infamous scene in episode 18._

_Subaru: *Peacefully eating sandwich*_

_*stomping noises*_

_Subaru: "Oh hey guys...wait, why are you all mad?"_

_*Gets punched in the face.*_

_"You bastard, you should have chosen REM!"_

**Really depends on the servants. Also, they'll be seeing it from his pov, so him getting murdered by her was a thing they might remember.**

Do said:

_Power level like this note the stats are not a hundred percent accurate just like you can have a tank empt and a glass full tho that is not accurate enf_

_Shik_

_Enkidu, Gilgamesh, Solomon(not grand), Karna Reinhard(if there is th in re world, ancient saber dude unless he is Arturia or Arthur time paradox, possibilities include ones from ruined world, and Fontana, there are others who can be hear but not because of spec circ_

_High tier servent_

_Mid t s_

_Low t s slough up to the most useless_

_So in comparison we have weak animals, normal human( weakest s is possibly here though not likely, maybe), mg, strongest humans dead ap anc weak to mid serv, high t s dv, beasts op f possibly defar. Keep in mind that there are traits skills and etc involved like an anti div beating a sv with better stars sv with low stats e rank strength hs op kill abl which requires no strength cmon to ex kill but is of dv so unless there's a monster class saitma on lose CSU than every ones doomed can beast one take a punch to the face?I want your opinion airs girls and author sans'_

**Uhhhhh. This is really hard to read. Please use full words next time. Um, so what you're saying is that powerlevels are of dubious use, I think? In that case I agree, there are way too many weird gimmicky matchups for them to be useful outside of as a shorthand.**


	14. Chapter 14

**14: The Greater Grail**

* * *

We end up reuniting with Hanam at roughly the halfway point - the large bridge from the urban area of town to the more suburban zone.

"Yo, Assassin." says Cu. "Find anything good?"

"...Nothing unexpected." The skull-masked man replies. "Lancer is nowhere to be found - I combed the area around Ryuudou temple thoroughly, and didn't detect anyone other than Archer and Saber."

"Well, I'm fine with just ignoring her if she's not going to stop us." I say. I mean, she should be erased along with the singularity, right? "Did you find all your knives?"

"...I was able to find and salvage around half of them. I now have thirty-nine dirks to my name."

"Well, that's better than nothing! Shame you missed our calisthenics, though. I hope you don't cramp up later." I joke. It's the solemn duty of Natsuki Subaru to make sure his friends get their daily exercise, after all.

"Servants don't get cramps, so I doubt that will be a problem." Interjects the Director. "Rather, I'm surprised that Mordred and Cu Chulainn wasted their time joining in on that pointless exercise."

"Eh? Just because it won't give any physical benefit doesn't mean it's pointless." Says Mordred. "It's about the feeling of the thing, you know? Gets you in the right state of mind. Same reason I don't like going around astralized - it feels weird not having my feet on the ground."

Cu nods. "It's like that, basically. We may have been dead for a while, but we still remember being alive like it was yesterday. Pointless things like eating, sleeping, and exercise are still good for morale if nothing else."

Mordred nods sagely. "The Hound gets it. Humans should act human. Man, I wish we had more people like him in Camelot - most of the other knights were a buncha stuffy idiots who kept trying to turn themselves into robots or something."

"Ain't that just like the English, though? Shoulda been born a Celt, lass! Least we know how to have a good time!" The Druid shoots back with a grin.

"Oi, who are you calling 'lass'!? You wanna fight?" Mordred says, scowling. "Also, I'm Welsh, not English."

"Hey, leave your backwards gender stereotypes at the door! I might get offended on my teacher's behalf." Cu says, grin widening. "And hell _yes _I want to fight!"

Mordred's face shifts into a similarly vicious grin, and she opens her mouth to respond, but I cut her off. "Save it for _after _we deal with Saber, you two."

"Yeah, yeah. Wouldn't want to run out of gas when fighting Archer anyway." says Cu with a sigh.

"Right, it'd be a shame if I lost to Father after I got injured kicking your ass." says Mordred.

"Hah, dream on!"

* * *

"Stop." Caster calls out as we near the mountain on which Ryuudou Temple stands. "We're reaching the outer edge of Archer's range. I've boosted the range of my Protection From Arrows, so that should take care of his more simple projectiles, but the bigger ones are all you, Shielder."

"R-right! I'll do my best!" Mash answers nervously.

"Let's go, then. Assassin, you handle Subaru." He says - and then, in an explosion of sonic force, he begins sprinting towards the peak of the mountain. Hanam grabs me, and the three servants I've contracted directly take off at a similar pace.

A few seconds later, the arrows start flying. Like concentrated machine gun fire, glowing red bolts rain down upon us, exploding on impact. But any that might have hit their mark are deflected by a faint barrier projected from Cu's body, and a moment later, the arrows stop.

"He's gonna start using Noble Phantasms! Get ready!"

A moment later, a sword is launched down the slopes at us. No, at _me_. As Hanam moves out of its path the sword-turned-arrow curves in midair, correcting its trajectory towards him, and by extension, me.

"Haaah!" Mash cries, and her shield smashes it out of the air, the blade detonating as she strikes it.

More copies of the same sword follow in its wake, but each is slapped out of the air by Mordred, Caster, and Mash working in tandem. Eventually, those attacks stop as well, and I can feel an oppressive wave of mana as we near the top of the Temple stairs.

"That'll be [Caladbolg]!" Yells Caster, slowing his pace. "Mash Kyrielight, this one's all yours!"

Mash takes the lead, and pauses, taking a deep breath. "I can do this. I can do this."

She raises her shield, a blue magic circle forming at its center. "Beginning Pseudo-deployment of Noble Phantasm! [Lord…!"

In an eruption of light, the blade is launched down the slope at us, annihilating the stone stairs in its wake.

"...Chaldeas]!" Mash yells, and a flawless wall of marble is raised in the arrow's path.

Unstoppable force meets immovable object. Light streams forth from [Caladbolg] as it impacts the [Lord Chaldeas], spiraling waves of light in all the colors of the rainbow. The ground ahead of us is torn to pieces, stone and dirt filling the air.

And then, finally, in one final explosion of blue light, sword surrenders to shield.

"Haah… Haaah… I did it… I did it!" Mash says, smiling. Caster sprints ahead again, and disappears through the temple gate.

"Heh. Like some lame-ass knockoff Excalibur could breach that wall. As long as your will holds strong… there's no way that shield would ever fail." Mordred says with a scoff.

And then so quietly that I can barely hear her, I hear her mumble to herself. "...Damn bastard. If he had been there, then Father…"

* * *

"So you couldn't take me on your own, so you decided to get help, huh?" Says a tanned man with white hair. He's wearing black body armor, and has faintly glowing red lines running along his skin. "Well, I suppose it's to be expected of you. Dogs hunt in packs after all."

"Nah, they're just here to make sure you don't go crying to Saber for help when I'm about to win." Says Cu. The two are slowly circling each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move - except, that works in our favor. I can barely make them out, but Caster has been leaving runes on the ground as he moves.

"Hmph. Mordred to fight off Arthur, huh?" Archer says, eyes flicking towards the knight. "Well, frankly I'd advise you to turn back. You won't find anything other than misery if you face her as weak as you are now."

"Hah! You think I'm _scared _of father!? Please, I'm twice the swordsman he is. There's no way I'll lose."

"I wasn't talking about your physical capacity. Well, it's not like you'll listen to me anyway." The man says with a small shrug and a smirk. "In any case, thanks for the new toys. _Trace, on!_"

And then, a familiar red blade appears in his grip.

"What the-!?" Mordred exclaims.

"Wait, is that _projection magecraft_!?" Olga Marie yells over her holographic link.

"[Clarent.." The man snarls, blade glowing as he points it towards us.

"[Ath nGabla]." says Cu, and a crimson circle appears around the two of them.

"Tch." says Archer, blade disappearing from his grip. "So you placed the runes as you were moving, huh? How troublesome."

"What, not gonna try and use it on me?" says Caster with a smirk.

"And leave myself wide open to your [Wicker Man]? As if."

"So, same as always then?" Cu says, grinning as his staff ignites and he assumes a spear stance with it.

"Same as always." Archer replies, and a pair of dao-patterned shortswords appear in his hands.

Cu lunges, his staff smashing against Archer's blades, which crack under the force of the blow. For a moment, I think Caster has already sealed the deal - but then Archer drops the blades, a new pair appearing in his hands

"Well?" Cu calls out. "Get going! I've got him trapped fighting only me, and Saber's not gonna kill herself! I'll catch up with you in five minutes or so!"

"Heh. Don't die, Cu Chulainn! You still owe me that fight!" Mordred yells as we walk past the two.

"Worry about yourself!" He says with a chuckle, and we proceed deeper into the Ryuudou Temple.

* * *

Hanam leads us to a cave, deep within the forest behind the Temple, and we follow him in.

"So, Saber is in here, huh?" I mutter. It's one hell of a place for a king to have hidden himself away - more like the type of thing a Western dragon would do, now that I think about it.

"...From what I remember, this is the location of the Greater Grail. My recollection of the time after I was [Altered] is hazy, but I remember returning to existence in this cave." He says.

Eventually, the twisting tunnel gives way to a massive cavern. A faint purple light is visible from behind a curved stone wall, lighting the whole cavern. And atop that wall is-!

"Father! I've come to take the Grail off your hands!" Yells Mordred gleefully.

The woman on the wall gazes down on us. I can see the resemblance - their faces are almost completely identical. But Arthur's hair is tied back into a neat bun as opposed to Mordred's sloppy ponytail, and the differences only get bigger from there. Arthur's eyes are cold yellow as opposed to Mordred's green, and her armor is dark black as opposed to Mordred's silver.

She says nothing in response to Mordred. She merely raises her blade and…

"[Excalibur…"

Oi, she's opening with her strongest move!?

"Mash!"

"Yes, Senpai! Pseudo-deployment, begin! [Lord…Chaldeas]!" She yells, the now-familiar white wall appearing in front of us.

"...Morgan]!" roars Arthur, and darkness pours forth from her blade.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Surprise early chapter!**

**Cu vs archer will get its own one-two chapter interlude, so don't worry about that.**

**Next chapter Monday or so.**

* * *

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

NoNameAvailable Bis said:

_Minor nitpick, but wasn't Lord Chaldeas named so by Olga Marie after Mash used it once? Can't remember how the OVA did it though._

**Fuck. Shoulda rewatched that entire scene an extra time. My bad. Ugh, but I don't want to let Subaru name the thing...**

_But yeah, I think this chapter might have lacked a little weight. Activating her NP is a major milestone for Mash, but here it seems mostly done as an afterthought and the focus is immediately thrust on Subaru once again. i guess retreading known grounds isn't terribly exciting, writing-wise, but I can't help finding it a bit sad that what she probably considered her first genuine accomplishment got kind of brushed over._

**True. As I may have said before, I'm a bit impatient, so sorry about that.**

said:

_I can't wait to see the meeting between Subaru and Merlin. He's a white haired nonhuman who can't feel emotions yet always keeps a smile on his face and visits people in their dreams. Merlin is basically a more selfless Echidna. Subaru would be so creeped out by him._

**Eh, there's a bit more difference between the two. Merlin doesn't have Echidna's unquenchable thirst for knowledge, after all.**

Guest said:

_Since so far I always leave a question but I was out of ideas I will ask something I thought while writing this._

_What would happen if Subaru meets Salter alone and forces himself to tell her about RtD?_

**She dies, if he can finish telling her without dying of a heart attack, and before her just smiting him for daring to approach her alone.**

**So kinda unlikely.**

_(Is this my longest review thus far? Anyway nice chapter as always)_

**No clue. I've got no idea how to tell the difference between you and other guests ;P**

NoNameAvailable Bis said:

_Oh, somehow I was lagging one chapter behind for a couple of updates. Oh well._

**On the plus side, double chapter for you I guess?**

_Hm. Well, not much to say about that one I suppose, though it's sweet to see the 'Victory' ritual make an appearance. Somehow I'd have thought Mordred would protest it more, but then again, it's kind of hard to predict her mood._

**Addressed a little in this chapter.**

_And yeah, the whole issue about powerlevels is mostly academics. Ultimately, it's a matter of matchups and circumstances. It can be fun trying to imagine scenarios, or think about a particular confrontation (I remember watching a video on 'which servant could potentially take on Gilgamesh' which was pretty fun), but the logic of "X is S tier and Y is B tier, therefore X will win against Y all the time" is deeply flawed. And even if a Servant beats another once, it doesn't mean the same result would happen every time - the circumstances of the fight are often as important as the skillset of the combatants, if not more._

**Yeah, servants are heroes. Most of them are _experts _in punching above their weight class.**

SmugyBoy said:

_I guess it would depend on the timeline of EMIYA._

**Y'know, I said EMIYA, but I meant Kiritsugu. oops. Well, it holds true for both**

_Yes, the one before UBW would have a really bad affinity with Subaru, but the one after UBW, would be very similar to Subaru._

_Hell, I could totally see the whole "that's hell your walking into" scene happen between EMIYA and Subaru._

**Ehhhh, yes and no. Subaru's life philosophy is wildly different from both EMIYAs. It's more plainly visible in the side-stories, where he kinda loses it, but basically, Subaru is more like Heaven's Feel Shirou than any of the other EMIYA incarnations. He saves his friends first, and pretty much everyone who tries to hurt them (without working their way into his good graces first) meets a terrible fate.**

Zennishi said:

_I do wonder, since Hanam seems to be crippled - missing one arm, will Subaru ask Da Vinci make a new arm for him? She is rather good at constructing things, with the quality depending on the materials - maybe have upgradeable tiers, unless you plan on having Hanam just for this singularity._

**I'm not sure at the moment, to be honest. Which means I gotta decide fast lol.**

_Or, will Subaru take advantage of Da Vinci's skillset to get ahomunculus body as a vessel (stronger body, and again, depending on materials quality can be better)? That would allow him to stand a better chance against the upcoming Singularities. Maybe get his Magic Circuits fixed in the process and learn some real Magecraft, be it from Olga, Romani, Da Vinci, or even better, the Servants._

_Maybe also have Mashu learn so Magecraft, such as Reinforcement Runecraft or Healing?_

**Learning magecraft on earth takes a LOT of time, and most magi won't teach people outside their family unless it's a clock tower type deal.**

_Maybe even train/bond with some of the Servants. In canon Subaru did train after time time skip with Echidna's tomb, getting fitter and learning how to use a whip._

**Probably.**

_Also, will Subaru meet Void Shiki/Akasha in the KnK Event?_

**Probably.**

_And lastly... will there be Sidestories? Like Bad Ends, just like canon Re Zero with What If: Sloth, Greed, Glutonny etc?_

**Probably.**


	15. Chapter 15

**15: ****Always remain objective-focused.**

* * *

A tsunami of oppressive black mana crashes into [Lord Chaldeas], blotting out all light in the cave. Mash grits her teeth, muscles twitching with effort as sweat pours down her forehead. But the wall holds, at least for now.

"Man, what a greeting!" I say with a faked chuckle. My first command spell flares bright red. "What do you say we answer in kind, Mordred?"

I turn to look at her, expecting her usual predatory grin - but instead…

"...What the hell..?" Her eyes are wide, her face twisted in utter horror and revulsion as she gazes upon the darkness hammering against Mash's shield. "...Just who the hell are you supposed to be..? 'Excalibur Morgan'... what's that supposed to mean, huh?"

Mordred's teeth grind as her mouth is set into a scowl, eyebrows furrowing as indignation and hatred fill her voice. "I'll kill you. I'll kill you! I don't care if you're some secret pawn of Mother's that I never learned of or what; I'll kill you, for daring to taint Father's legacy like this!"

The ground around her feet cracks, stone floating up into the air as her blade begins to crackle with red lightning. "[Clarent...!"

The beam from Arthur's blade dies down, and I can just barely hear her say "-bur…" before Mordred unleashes her own sword beam.

"...Blood Arthur]!"

"...Morgan]!" roars Saber as she fires Excalibur again. Oi, was she planning to just use it immediately after the first one ended?

Crimson and black waves of energy meet in the air halfway between us, smashing together and twisting, mixing together into a helix of mana that erupts vertically into the ceiling. Stone and dirt pours down like rain, followed by trees and plants as the blast opens the cavern to the outside world. Luckily, I have Mash-tan to protect me, so I somehow avoid death by cave-in. Shields are pretty great, huh?

"[Excalibur…"

"She's still going!?" I yell. Damn, and Mash is already getting tired… I'll definitely have to lean on [Cor Leonis] for this fight. I activate it, and exhaustion floods my body, as well as pain, shooting through the space of my consciousness that I learned to associate with my "gate" back when it collapsed - well, they're called Magic Circuits in this world. This is… from Mordred? Does using her Noble Phantasm hurt her body?

Incidentally, thanks to [Cor Leonis], I can track Hanam, who had disappeared at some point, as he emerges from the shadows to Saber's right in a storm of thrown daggers, interrupting her Noble Phantasm as she's forced to deflect the attacks-!

"[Strike Air]!" Yells Saber, and in one swipe of her sword she deflects the daggers in a blast of wind, as well as interrupting Hanam's jump backwards, sending him careening towards the curtain of still falling stone and dirt from the collapsing roof of the cave.

He begins to astralize, attempting to pass harmlessly through the avalanche like a ghost, but with a loud echoing _boom_, Saber rockets towards him in a pulse of black mana.

Her sword is remarkably silent as she drives it through his ribcage using only her left hand - the sharp clang as she deflects the dagger he thrusts at her throat with the armored gauntlet of her right hand is much louder.

And the pulse of black energy from [Excalibur Morgan] that obliterates most of Hanam's torso is much louder.

"How…?" Hanam coughs out, somehow.

"Your [Protection Against the Wind] was lost when you were blackened. Consider this my revenge, Assassin." Saber speaks - her first words apart from using Noble Phantasms.

Hanam lets out a wet chuckle. {...Seems I miscalculated, Master. In the end… I was just dead weight, wasn't I?}

And then, in a cloud of golden sparkles, he's gone.

"No!" I hear myself scream.

Damn it! If I had reacted faster… If I had used a command spell, or Cor Leonis, then he would still be alive!

"Focus, Natsuki!" Yells Olga Marie, appearing next to me. "We can resummon him later! For now, you need to survive!"

...Huh. That makes things a bit less high stakes, doesn't it?

Anyway... that little bit of time he bought us means that Mordred had time to close the gap on Saber, launching straight at her in a pulse of red light. Their blades meet, sparks flying, red and black bursts of energy mixing together and shattering the earth beneath them.

They're opposed in every way - Mordred continues to scream obscenities at what she insists is a fake King Arthur, while said fake remains completely silent. Mordred's fighting is feral, animalistic, clearly operating on almost pure instinct, while the fake Arthur's style is tight, controlled, with no wasted movements.

Their only similarity is the sheer force of their blows, each clash of blades breaking the stone on which they stand, leaving the ground of the cave-turned-sinkhole pockmarked with small craters.

Mordred's swordsmanship is better. Even a total novice like me can tell that. Despite Arthur's tight, controlled movements, the crimson knight is still running rings around her, because despite her wild, frantic fighting style, Mordred leaves absolutely no openings. A creature of pure instinct, but said creature is an apex predator.

There's just one problem - Arthur keeps exploding.

That is to say, whenever Mordred has her on the ropes, Saber just unleashes a pulse of black mana that forces her back. It's a stalemate - and one that isn't in our favor. After all, I'm gonna run out of mana for Mordred to drain from me eventually, and then she won't have those big red mana bursts to back up her blows.

Arthur, on the other hand, has the infinite mana of the Holy Grail backing her up.

...That's right. The grail. We don't need to kill Arthur. _We just need to destroy the grail._

"Oi, Director?" I ask, and her hologram turns her attention to me. "that big stone wall with glowy light behind it… let me confirm. Is that thing the grail?" I ask, smiling.

"Yes. The readings are certain. That thing is definitely the Holy Grail." She says with a nod.

"Perfect. In that case...Mordred! By my command spell, I order you- use your Noble Phantasm and destroy the grail!" I yell.

"Well, I guess that works too, huh!?" Yells Mordred, grinning as she leaps away from the fake Arthur. "[Clarent…!"

"As if I would let you!" Yells Saber, aiming her blade at Mordred. "[Excalibur..!"

"Mash, protect Mordred!" I yell.

"But Senpai, you'll..!" She protests.

"Don't worry! I'm not out of cheap tricks just yet!"

After a moment of hesitation, she nods. "Right. I'll go, then!"

"...Blood Arthur]!" Roars Mordred, and a wave of red tears through the Grail, glowing purple-red gunk erupting through the cleft in the stone wall.

"[Lord Chaldeas]!" Mash yells, protecting both Mordred and herself from the flood of strange liquid, as well as Saber's attack.

Except, Saber's attack doesn't come. Because the moment Mash left my side, Arthur switched targets to me!

She rockets towards me with a speed that I'm pretty sure breaks the sound barrier, aiming to cut me in half in a single blow. I can't dodge it. [Invisible Providence] is too slow to catch the blade. But, like I said, I have one more cheap trick up my sleeve!

With enough mana, anything is possible. So long as you know what the end result looks like, and you have enough mana to throw at making that result reality, you can do it, in this world. That's how the grail works. That's how command spells work.

My final command spell blazes bright crimson. If something like teleportation is within the realm of possibility for the mana provided by a command spell… then faking Beako's half of one of our spells should be within the realm of possibility as well!

"[E-M-M]!" I yell, Avalon flaring with light - and Saber's blade passes harmlessly through me as I phase partially out of existence.

EMM - Emilia-tan Maji Megami. 'Emilia-tan is Seriously a Goddess,' for any foreigners out there. That was the name I gave to the absolute defense magic that Beako and I developed together, which allows us to become completely immune to any attacks until the spell ends. Well, it restricts my movement too, so unfortunately I can't go full Reinhart and throw my weight around as an invincible fighter.

"Hmph. So you weren't helpless after all. Still, how long can you keep something like this up, I wonder?" Asks Saber.

I grin "Not sure. I had to prop it up with a command spell, so I'm not sure if it'll last as long as it used to. But, I know I can keep it up long enough for you to disappear now that the grail is gone!"

"Ah. I see." Says Saber, closing her eyes. "Truly, this would be your victory then - if you were not mistaken about two key details."

Mash screams in agony, and my eyes shift beyond Saber, snapping onto her. The muck from the grail flowed around her shield, reaching the soles of her boots - and that was enough. Black coloration, accentuated with crimson lines is creeping up her legs.

Behind her, Mordred clutches a spreading stain on her left side - a splatter of the stuff had hit her before Mash got her shield in position. Her hand comes away stained with the same spreading blackness, and she can only watch in horror as the taint spreads across her body.

I can't activate Cor Leonis. It doesn't work inside EMM, and I can't deactivate that without getting cut down by Saber.

"Aahhhhhhh! It hurts! It hurts!" Mash continues to scream. The white wall of Lord Chaldeas cracks - and then, it gives way, a torrent of blackish-purple mud swallowing Mash and Mordred in an instant. In the last second before she disappears from sight, I can see Mash's terrified face, staring at me. As if asking me, "Why didn't you save me?"

And then she's gone. The mud swallows them both, and after it levels out at knee-depth, neither Mash nor Mordred is visible.

"Your _second_ mistake was assuming that the wall of Camelot would be enough to halt the grail's corruption." Says Saber coldly. "If the curse consumed me, why would my city be any different?"

"Just disappear already! I hope running out of mana gives you the most excruciating death possible, you bitch!" I spit, as the tears start to roll down my face.

"Hmph. And that was your _first_ mistake." She says with a cold smile, as a golden crystal, emanating enough mana that its mere proximity makes me feel queasy, appears in her hand. "_Since when were you under the impression that there was only one grail?"_

...Ah, so that's how it was. No wonder she didn't disappear, huh?

"Heh. Heh! Hahaha!" I break down in deranged laughter. "Thanks for telling me, you idiot!"

"And so what? You've got no chance of survival. Once your spell ends, you'll die. I am simply relishing my victory, as is the right of the strong. That's all." Saber replies with an arched eyebrow.

"Natsuki, if you've somehow still got some way out of this, then-!" says Olga. Right, she's still here. I still don't know if the timelines I die in continue after my death, so let's be responsible about this, right?

"[Shamak]." I say as I cancel EMM.

"What? Why did we lose connection now of all times!?" Yells Olga. That's good, it seems to work like expected.

Saber's blade punches through my chest, piercing my heart.

"H-heh. Y-yeah, I'll die for sure." I stammer through the pain, as my nose starts running and tears continue to pour down my cheeks. "However- I return to the past when I die!" I yell triumphantly, a spiteful grin on my face.

"Wha-!?" says Saber, clutching at her chest as blood fills her mouth.

The spiteful grin stays on my face, even as the witch slowly reaches for me, crushing my heart and dragging me backwards in time…

* * *

"V-victory!" "Victory!" "Victory!" Yell Mash, Mordred, and Cu Chulainn.

"I sure don't feel victorious…" I mumble, eye twitching.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Slightly early. Next chapter Wednesday perhaps?**

**There are two grails in the Fuyuki singularity - the actual Fuyuki grail, and the one given to Salter by Flauros.**

**Also, Olga says this chapter that they can just resummon Hanam. Some may question this sudden lowering of the stakes.**

**I would in turn question why on earth they assume Olga is telling the truth.**

* * *

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

Guest said:

_Nice chapter as always. What are the chances of Subaru going insane at least once before the end of the singularities?_

**Near 100%. There's only so many times one can handle dying to King Arthur.**

BlueCore said:

_Amazing chapter, but felt a bit rushed._

**Yeah, I'm impatient, so I rush things along a bit. Sorry about that.**

NoNameAvailable Bis said:

_Woo boy. Salter wastes no time, I see. Skipping the customary banter to get straight at it? Rude. You're being a terrible role model to Mordred! I mean, just look at Cu and Emiya! Those guys know how it's done (well, okay, Emiya also opened by firing stuff at people, but... it's just not the same, okay?!)._

**Salter is 100% maximum no chill.**

_All in all, really liked this chapter, the personality of each Servant oozes through quite well. Let's see how this final battle go._

**lol everyone died again**


	16. Chapter 16

**16: A promise broken, a promise made.**

* * *

It takes me a few seconds to get my bearings. I manage to avoid clutching my chest - there's no pain there. I'm just having phantom sensations from the last death. There's no sword through my heart, and no Unseen Hand grasping it either.

I'm back to this morning, which is nice - it means we don't have to fight Heracles again.

"Man, she's being pretty generous with the reset points recently…" I mumble. Of course, after more than twenty returns to the day I got sent back to Earth, it's certainly a welcome change of pace.

I contemplate that last death for a bit - saber has infinite mana as expected, and the Grail can't be destroyed without horrible cursed goop getting everywhere. Furthermore, destroying it won't help, because there's a second grail! Why on earth is there a second-!?

No. Wait. From the start, I've got it in the wrong order. The grail Saber has is the 'first', because-!

"...atsuki. Natsuki! I'm talking to you, you know!" yells the Director. As before, she's pretty clearly still receiving medical treatment.

"Ah, right. Sorry, I spaced out a bit there. Anyway, I was thinking…" I start to say.

"Hey! Don't just start talking about whatever you want at your own pace! We can't afford to waste time!" She interrupts. "You don't have any reliable food or water supplies, need I remind you! And pulling you out could-!"

"Lead to a delay of about a year. Yeah, yeah…" I say. "I wasn't going to talk about pointless stuff in the first place. It's important that we get all the details ironed out before we start fighting - otherwise we might somehow lose in the final stretch, you know."

"Oi, master, the hell are you implying?" snaps Mordred. "There's no way I'll lose to Father! I'm 'the man who killed King Arthur', after all!"

"I'm saying there's a flaw in our assumptions! Sure, in a battle between swordsmen, you surpass Saber in every way. But Saber's hooked up to the grail - she's got infinite mana, and we've got _three _command spells." I shoot back. "And what's worse, I'm pretty sure she's got more than one grail!"

"The hell do you mean, more than one grail!?" Yells Caster.

"Well, the grail is what's responsible for this singularity, right? Somehow, Saber won the grail when she shouldn't have, and created this whole mess." I say, and I receive a nod. "Except - when you think about it, isn't that the wrong order? A grail is needed to distort the timeline, so in the first place, how could Saber have distorted the timeline and gotten the grail?"

"...You're right!" Says Olga. "And if Saber had claimed the grail during the events of the war, then this wouldn't be a singularity in the first place! It would just be proper history!"

"Shit, that clears some stuff up, actually…" Caster mutters. "Like how she was able to empty the grail of servants without it running out of energy."

"So what does that mean? _Double_ infinite mana? What the hell would that even look like?" Mordred says.

"[Excalibur]! [Excalibur]! [Excalibur]!" I say, miming a slashing motion. "...A lot like that, probably."

"...Yeah, that's basically what she does." Says Cu with a shrug. "Though she's been calling it [Excalibur Morgan] ever since she went evil."

"Excalibur...Morgan?" Mordred asks, voice shaking. Seems she got set off again, huh? "You mean… Father, my perfect, flawless Father, was tainted the same way as the other chumps in this war?"

"Yeah. That thing in the grail, whatever it is, it's got one hell of an aptitude for curses." Caster replies. "I haven't seen many things nastier in spirit than the old Crow, but that thing is definitely-"

"Don't fuck with me!" Mordred yells. "Father, there's not a chance in hell that he could turn out that way! So, whoever that is, pretending to be him... I won't forgive them. I'll kill them. I'll kill them. No matter what it takes, I'll kill them!"

"...I didn't ask last time, but do you have some kind of tsundere relationship with your father?" I can't help but say.

Mordred flushes. "E-eh? Of course not! I just wanted the throne, that's all! There wasn't any deeper motivation, none at all!"

"No, that was definitely a tsundere line just now!" I yell.

"I-it was not!" She yells, getting even more flustered. "I hold, absolutely no love in my heart for Father! None whatsoever!"

I laugh. "Heh, spouting cliche lines like that, you're almost as bad as my..."

...For an instant, Mordred's face is replaced by that of a certain drill-haired little girl, and my voice dies in my throat.

Stop. None of this. I can't just suddenly break down crying because I was separated from someone for a bit. I'll get back. I'll definitely get back.

But, you know, I was forced to make a contract with other spirits. I'm pretty sure that's a violation of my agreement with Beatrice. And I made that deal with the fairies of Avalon without even thinking about that. And then I went and used EMM without her, too, using other spirits to help me cast it.

"Hmph. Subaru truly is an enemy of all women, I suppose." - she'd say something like that, probably.

"...Dammit. I really am the worst." I mumble. My eyes sting, and I blink a bit to try and keep it under control.

It was necessary to stay alive, of course. Beako will forgive me for sure. From the start, it wasn't like "Subaru can't have Spirits other than Betty, I suppose." was meant to do anything other than keep me from getting overwhelmed by her immense upkeep costs. And considering the whole 'Heroic Spirit' thing, it's possible that there's no way back to her without violating the contract - it really depends on whether Servants count.

But it's the spirit of the thing. I could have avoided that temporary pact with the fairies. I can [Return by Death] after all. And furthermore, the fact that I'm still lugging the damn thing around as if it were somehow capable of replacing her-!

"Ah, dammit. This is why I was trying so hard to keep from thinking about everyone back home..." I mutter, brushing the tears from my eyes.

"S-senpai?" Mash asks as the fairies begin to swirl around me. Negotiating with them is gonna give me a headache, but…

"It can't be helped. It just... can't be helped-!" I exclaim, as I send thoughts to the little guys. Evil Arthur, two Holy Grails, and, most important of all…

A girl who would cry if I replaced her so easily.

Avalon flares with golden light. Cracks spiderweb over the surface of the blue lines wrapping across the golden sheath, emitting crimson light - and then, with a sound like glass breaking, but somehow _more_ \- Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia, crumbles away.

Leaving in its place a gleaming silver sheath decorated with red enamel.

"Catch." I say, tossing the reforged sheath to Mordred.

"Wh-what the hell!?" She yells. "What is this!?"

"[Avalon Inferno: The Cruel Reality That Destroys Utopia]... is what I've named it just now." I say, with a nod and a smile. "Basically, I asked the fairies if they could change the wielder requirements on the sheath, and they got all excited and reforged the whole thing all on their own."

"Wait, how is that even allowed!?" Yells Olga Marie. She's still here? "Suddenly reforging a Noble Phantasm, in the modern era no less - that shouldn't be possible!"

"Mm… well, I got the impression that it's only possible because this is a singularity, because it's Mordred, and because Excalibur is being used improperly." I reply, shrugging. "That aside, it's a rush job, so it's not gonna last more than a few hours. We should… probably hurry."

"W-wait! What about that spell of yours? That possession interruption spell!" The Director asks, a bit of a panicked look on her face. "Don't you need the sheath to cast it?"

I wiggle my hand back and forth in a so-so gesture. "Sorta. I can't cast using my own mana, so I had to use the fairies as a bit of a proxy. If I really need to, I guess I could force it out with a command spell - heck, with that much mana I might be able to use its upgraded form."

"...Wait, if all you need is mana, then why can't you just repurpose the [Mystic Code]'s spells?" She asks.

"...Mystic Code?"

"The uniform you're wearing." She says, eyes closed as she carefully enunciates each syllable, trying desperately not to fly into a rage. "Which harvests excess magic energy from its wearer to power up to three support spells. As I explained during the briefing."

"...Right, there was something like that, wasn't there?" I mutter.

"Senpai, she's turning red, so please stop!"

* * *

As we head over to Ryuudou Temple, I can't help but feel like I'm forgetting something.

"Yo, Assassin. Find anything good?" asks Caster as we reunite with Hanam, and upon seeing the skeletal man, both things I'd forgotten finally click.

"...Right. Hanam, I just remembered. Your [Divine Protection of the Wind] or whatever it's called, it's been deactivated. Is there anything you can do to fix that?"

The eyes of his mask seem to widen. "...So it has. [Protection against the Wind] was a blessing from my faith, so it must have been taken away when I lost faith and embraced Shaytan. Thank you for informing me, Lord Magus."

"No problem. Saber's got some kind of wind attack, so it could cause trouble if you thought you were immune." I say. "Anyway, there's one more thing before we advance - I'm pretty sure we're gonna need to fight someone else right after Saber."

"...Based on what?" Asks Caster. "I'll handle Archer, and Lancer's hiding, so who..?"

"Her accomplice from the modern era. Someone planted bombs in Chaldea, and someone had to send the grail back in time for her to receive it." I reply. Of course, I'm leaving it vague, but the culprit was probably-

"...Lev, right?" Says Olga Marie. Her gaze is downcast, hands clenched white-knuckle tight. "Romani told me you thought he was being possessed. And that he had… a detonator. When the bombs went off."

"...That's right. Flauros, one of the Dukes of Hell. Or, at least, something that casts spells using its name." I reply, eyes narrowed. "Anyway, I don't know that much about him other than the fact that he can cast a nasty fire spell and that he's somehow living inside Lev's magic circuits."

The Director closes her eyes, and swallows nervously. And then she speaks, her voice shaking with desperation. "Um, Natsuki. About that. Your anti-possession spell, the one used on Hanam earlier. Could you…?"

...Shit. That's right, Lev was probably a friend of hers before he was possessed. If someone I loved had been possessed by Petelgeuse back then, surely I would be feeling the same thing. Searching desperately for any solution to bring them back.

However… "I don't think that Shamak can do the trick, unfortunately. From the start, it's not like it's a spell designed to do fancy things like break possession. It's a sensory deprivation spell. The fact that it broke Hanam's possession was just a result of his unique circumstances. Don't get me wrong, Shamak-san is my oldest reliable ally, so I trust him to be able to pull off some unexpected things. But I can't make any promises."

"I see." She says, eyes going dull. "So Lev… there's nothing we can do to save him. Lev..!"

This is… too cruel to watch. Ah, there's no helping it. It can't be helped.

"...I never said we wouldn't save him." I say. "I just said Shamak wouldn't do the job. But, if there's any possible way to save Lev Lainur… I'll find it."

"N-natsuki… You…"

"Don't worry. After all, when it comes to fights with my life on the line, I've got a one hundred percent winrate, you know? This won't even be the _third _time I've put a stop to some kind of possession. So don't worry, Director! I'll definitely save Lev. That's a promise." I conclude. Ah, why'd I go and say something so troublesome? Man, this is gonna get me killed for sure.

"...Thank you. B-but. Remember, the mission comes first. We're potentially dealing with the fate of the world here." She says, finally settling into a melancholy smile. "So, don't make promises you can't keep. Chaldean Master forty-nine, Natsuki Subaru. Mash Kyrielight. Your orders have not changed. Save the world, and destroy any obstacles that would stop you doing so. But… If you can remove an obstacle without destroying it completely… that would be fine too."

And with that, she winks out of existence.

"...Man, I know I shouldn't be talking, but you're a pretty confident one, aren't you?" Says Cu, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "I mean, getting a big head because you've won every life and death fight you've been in is just asking to get killed."

"...Don't I know it." I say with a sigh.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Extra long this time. Subaru is very good at _making_ promises. Like me, I guess. Well, it's not like I said _which_ Wednesday it would be updated by.**

**Avalon only actually got the equivalent of a new paint job. It looked all fancy, but metaphysically the thing wasn't changed much.**

**Incidentally, such a thing was only possible because of Excalibur being turned against The World. One does not use The Sword of the Planet to end all life on the planet and expect Gaia not to get pissy.**

**It was the plan from the beginning for Mordred to temporarily acquire Avalon; though initially I had planned to have Cu hack the thing with runes. But that seemed a bit dumb, so we'll save jank rune hacking for next chapter.**

**Speaking of which, next chapter Friday hopefully.**

* * *

**REVIEW RESPONSES**

cheekiserval said:

_Dude, won't she remember that?_

**Nah. For simplicity's sake, the only people who can remember RbD timelines are Subaru, Satella, and people who look at his memories directly.**

Raj8 said:

_Man poor Saburu at this rate he's going to break pretty badly._

**He already had his breakdown offscreen for this arc. There'll be a flashback to his return to earth at the end of the Fuyuki arc; I didn't want to open the story on _pure misery_.**

_The author has outright confirmed that Subaru is aloud to die a max of 4 times per Arc for a reason after all._

**Didn't this rule get sorta broken in arc 6 though?**

_I haven't counted all the times he's died just yet but with how unfair this all is we'll have to see how long his sanity lasts._

**Five, if counting the deaths in chaldea as deaths for the Fuyuki arc. Over twenty five, if counting the deaths offscreen before he arrived at Chaldea. Subaru has had a rough fucking time since his return to Earth.**

Guest said:

_MrNoName can't wait to see Subaru lose his cool when he finds out who he has to go to Camelot and face the lion king_

_"How many times do i have to teach you this lesson old man"_

_Also funny considering what the sixth lost bolt is._

**It's all arthurs, all the way down. She's got a good chance of stealing second place on the leaderboards (of subaru kills) at this rate.**

Guest said:

_Nice chapter as always. If EMIYA(Assassin) had a conversation with Subaru how would it go?_

**Depends on the conversation. If it was about the weather or something it'd be fine, but anything relating to their ideals would result in Subaru getting pretty angry. Sacrificing those you love is no fucking good in his eyes.**

XXxxxadisxxxXX said:

_It's an enjoyable read but definitely rushed as hell. Everything is extremely fast paced. I'm surprised things flowed so well with how fast everything is._

**I have very little patience, something that extends to my writing. It's a double edged sword, because it allows me to not get bogged down repeating the same details over and over but on the other hand it means a lot of extra stuff that I could include in the story gets cut because I don't have the patience to write it down.**

Nexxoz Highdraco said

_Puedo ver cierta conjetura diferente en especial con zel digo casi siento que lo del año y medio fue un troll_

_Google translate: I can see some different conjecture especially with zel I say I almost feel like the year and a half was a troll_

**Kinda. He sorta suckered subaru into saving the world, but by the same token he doesn't have any other option. The Silver Keys won't arrive until Salem, after all.**


	17. Chapter 17

**17: As always, the two clash (Archer Side).**

* * *

It's easy to lose track of time in Hell.

I knew that already, of course. I can't count the time I spent as one of Alaya's Dogs; I just know it was long enough that everything else is a distant blur. Every memory, every bond, has been lost to me. There are bits and pieces still, of course. The most important parts are still intact.

But like the smelting of ore, all the unnecessary sediment has been purified. Everything that wasn't absolutely core to the sword named "EMIYA" has been burned away. If the Fuyuki fire was the forge that birthed "Emiya Shirou", then the time I spent as a Counter Guardian was the reforging of said sword.

But, let's return to the matter at hand. Losing track of time is normal in Hell. It was true during the Fuyuki Fire. It was true during my time as a Counter Guardian. And it's true now, in this Flame Contaminated City.

As a result, I'm not sure how long it's been since I last saw Caster and Assassin - but they've both changed in that time. Assassin has lost his arm, and somehow slipped out of the grail's control. And Caster, while someone else would miss it, I can see the new runes he's engraved on his body thanks to my Clairvoyance. It's only a peek here and there, made visible by his shirt shifting as he walks, so I can't make out what the runes are meant to do, but they're certainly _there._

What's more, they appear to have made friends. Mordred and Galahad - though the latter is a Demi-Servant. Even someone like me can see new things every now and then, I suppose.

The last of their new friends is a real oddity, though. An ordinary human. Well, perhaps ordinary is going a step too far - he's certainly a Master, the command spells on his hand make that much clear. And, furthermore, there's something… off, about him. I can sense it from here, a sort of pungent miasma following him around.

It reminds me of ████████. Not the same, but similar enough that I should kill him to be sure.

"...I've never met that person, you know." I mutter to the voice in my head. "You keep mentioning her, but that's your history, not mine."

As usual, he doesn't respond to me calling him out. He's not something convenient enough that I can hold a conversation with him. The only times I can even be sure it's him are when he clearly references something I don't know about. Otherwise, his thoughts blend in with my own.

He's me, after all. The me that I'll become after the Hell of the Black Grail finishes reforging me.

...In any case, they've come close enough now. I've got my doubts about whether I'll actually be able to do anything - [Lord Camelot] is one hell of a shield.

But still, I need to put up some token resistance.

"Trace, on." My bow begins to take shape - but then, I freeze.

That sheath. It can't possibly be for Clarent. Clarent was a display sword, one that never had a scabbard to begin with! Quickly, I begin my Structural Analysis.

...It's unimportant. A completely unremarkable sheath.

"...I guess there's no point worrying about it. Trace, on."

* * *

In the end, they manage to make it up to the Temple anyway. As I thought, Lord Camelot is one hell of a shield. Shame about the cost to project the thing; I probably won't be able to use it outside of my Reality Marble.

Clarent, on the other hand, seems like the type of blade I'll be able to get some mileage out of. If I'd had _that _on hand, I might have stood a chance against Saber when everything went to hell.

...Well, there's no point in crying over spilled milk. Let's get this farce over with.

"Couldn't handle me on your own, so you decided to get help, huh?" I call out to Caster. "Only natural for dogs to hunt in packs, I suppose."

He snarls a bit in response. Hook.

"No, they're just here to make sure you don't go whining to Saber when I kick your ass!" He replies. Line and sinker.

We begin circling each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Or at least, that's what it would look like to the uninitiated. Caster is setting up his Ath nGabla, to keep me from interfering with the others fighting Saber.

That suits me just fine, of course. The normal Artoria asde, there's no way her altered self could lose to that bunch, not when she's got the grail backing her up. Assassin might as well not exist without his arm or that shadow to lend him some stopping power. Lord Camelot is a purely defensive Noble Phantasm, so while the Shielder can keep her master safe, that won't be any use when it comes to putting Saber down for good.

Really, their only chance is…

"Hmph. Mordred to fight off Arthur, huh?" I say.

Some pointed words should do the trick. Mordred fights on pure instinct, so giving her something to distract her from that 'flow' state ought to sabotage her enough that Saber can clean up. "Well, frankly I'd advise you to turn back. You won't find anything other than misery if you face her as weak as you are now."

"Hah! If you think some fake Arthur can handle me, you're sorely mistaken! I'm the rightful heir of the real deal, so there's nothing that fraud can do to me!" She says with a laugh.

"I wasn't talking about your physical capacity." I reply, and note a slight tightening of her posture as I do so. "Besides, 'fake Arthur'? Do you really think it's something that simple?"

"Are you joking? I already heard this fake's going around yelling 'Excalibur Morgan'. There's no way Father would fall to that level, so-!" Mordred says with a shrug.

This person..! "'There's no way Saber would fall into despair and take a darker path' - says the person who killed her knights and toppled her kingdom! You twisted-!"

My words are cut off as I'm forced to narrowly dodge the blazing tip of Caster's sharpened staff. "Hey, Archer, keep glaring at her like that and I'm gonna get jealous, you know!"

Ath nGabla flares to life as I jump back, tracing Kanshou and Bakuya. "Tch. So you finished setting up the runes while I wasn't paying attention, huh?"

"Sure did!" He says with a grin, assuming his usual spear pose - no, not quite. He's favoring his left arm. An injury? "So, same as always, then?"

"Same as always." I reply with a wry grin. If he's not going to lean on his strengths as a Caster, that's no skin off my back.

His staff clashes with my blades a few times, and I'm forced to trace a new pair almost immediately. Did he put exorcism runes on his staff? Honestly, the nerve of this guy…

"Caster! Don't die! We're probably gonna need your help to deal with the Demon!" Calls out the master.

To think he'd already picked up on that…

...Picked up on what, exactly?

"Yeah, yeah! Just get going already!" Cu Chulainn calls out as he unleashes a spray of fire at me.

It's pretty simple to dodge, but it provides enough time for his companions to get away.

Well, that just means I can fight without watching my back so closely.

I leap backwards, and trace a new pair of married blades, hurling them at his neck.

_Spirit and technique, flawless and firm…_

The first two blades are deflected, sent spinning away, but I've already closed into melee with the next pair.

_Our strength rips the mountains…_

The Kanshou in my hand is swung at his neck, its thrown partner returning to strike at the same time - but my strike is deflected by the tip of his staff, and Bakuya flies wide as a result. I let go of the sword as he hits it, sending it sailing into the air as well.

_Our swords split the water…_

The second copy of Bakuya swipes at his gut, with the first Kanshou spinning in to strike from behind. He jumps, clearing both blades in an acrobatic feat that would make any circus's Ringleader hire him on the spot - and I let go of the blade.

_Our names reach the imperial villa…_

I reach backwards, a third pair of blades appearing in my hands - stretching to greater lengths and sprouting feather-like growths of metal as I reinforce them, drawing in all four flying blades for a final strike.

_The two of us cannot hold the heavens together._

Six blades crash down upon Caster simultaneously.

_[Triple-Linked Crane Wings]_

"Algiz!" roars Caster - and all six swords have their momentum abruptly arrested by a gleaming blue magic circle that Caster is standing in the center of - one of twelve, each projected from a different glowing rune that caster had left behind him as I forced him back with my swords.

"Tch. This isn't 'same as always' at all." I complain while contemplating my way out.

"Well, you had me on the ropes, after all. Can't afford to lose if the fate of the world is at stake, y'know?" He replies with a shit-eating grin. "Ehwaz."

As an additional circle is added, I project my go-to solution for magical traps. "[Rule Breaker]."

The dagger of Medea of Colchis, capable of nullifying any and all magecraft… does nothing. Unfortunately, the thing is incapable of destroying Noble Phantasms, so it can't stop Caster's. Well, I wasn't sure that this particular trap was one, so it was worth checking, I suppose. And it seems I don't have much time.

"I am the bone of my sword." I mutter. "Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."

"Sowilo, mannaz, fehu." The hound mutters as he adds additional runes to the ground. "Ah, damn, I'm gonna need to move the first few. Thing's gotta be a perfect circle, or old one-eye won't take the offering. Gimme a sec."

"I have created over a thousand blades." I continue, rapidly chanting. "Unknown to death, nor known to life."

"...That should be good enough! Ansuz!"

"Have withstood pain to create many weapons." I say, even as the magic circles surrounding me merge into one crimson circle inscribed with Cu Chulainn's preferred fire rune. "Yet, those hands will never hold anything!"

"An offering to the great god of wisdom-!"

"So, as I pray - [Unlimited Blade Works]!"

"[Ochd Deug Odin]!"

And the world is swallowed by flames.

* * *

My world has deteriorated since I last stood in it. The titanic gears which used to turn eternally in the sky are jammed, bound in place by massive chains. The orange light of sunset is gone, leaving behind a starless night sky.

The only light comes from the cracks in my sky, through which molten gold is pouring down onto my desert of swords, faintly illuminating the terrain.

"I wonder, is this your doing..?" I mumble to my Alter.

"Hah! So this is your true Noble Phantasm, huh? You've been holding out on me, Archer!" Calls out Cu Chulainn. He's about a kilometer downhill of me, standing amidst a cluster of nameless spears. I must have subconsciously dropped him there. "So, are you actually just some famous blacksmith?"

I chuckle wryly. "Famous? No. I'm just a nameless Counter Guardian, with no particular story to tell."

"Shame. I feel like any story that brings you into contact with all of these would have to be an exciting legend." Caster replies.

"Exciting?" I scoff. "No, it's just a dime-a-dozen farce about a fool who thought he could be a superhero."

"Sure looks to me like you became one, in the end!" He says, advancing up the hill of swords towards me.

"Think what you want. - but this is as far as you go." I mutter. Swords begin to unsheath themselves from the dust, pointing at him. "Caster, Cu Chulainn. I'll see you next time - but this time, it's my win."

An endless storm of blades rains down upon him.

Cu Chulainn stretches out his left arm, and runes engraved in the flesh of his palm glow bright yellow.

"Come!"

From a little-used, dusty corner of my Reality Marble... a familiar red spear leaps to his hands.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Cu, the moment he figures out Archer is using other heroes' NPs: "I will prepare runes to steal my own spear from him."**

**Emiya Alter, to Emiya, when he sees Avalon: "nothing to see here move along."**

**Next chapter Monday.**

* * *

**Review responses:**

_DemonRaily said:_

_Speaking of good guy Lev, I was genuinely surprised that such thing exists, I find the fact that if he managed to kill himself in time the three thousand year old plan to remake the world would just failed._

**Clock Tower 2015 is weird and I wish it was fully translated.**

_Mizen said:_

_Nice chapter as always. I created an account! So Avalon does the same but looks different?_

**Nice. And yes, it's identical, except it functions for Mordred instead of Artoria, and costs more mana to use.**

_Guest said:_

_I have a question... I think that you said somewhere (SB, SV or here) that this story is post Arc VI and that Subaru would have the Authority of Gluttony... what would happen if Subaru eats Flauros name and memories? Would Goetia forget his existence and Lev would take over?_

**If Flauros was eaten by the authority of one of the gluttony archbishops, yes. But Subaru's gluttony witch factors have not yet sprouted into any kind of authority, nor would it necessarily be the same authority that Louis/Ley/Roy have.**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_Good chapter. Will Barusu's authorities get stronger? Like getting more his unseen hands or something?_

**Authorities are jank. Unseen hand seems to increase in power with the density of witch factor in its user's body, so probably not unless subaru dies a lot in a short span of time. However, individual witch factors seem to sprout additional authorities as their user increases in affinity with the associated sin (i.e. Louis creating the eclipse authorities because of her gluttonous desires. )**

**In that respect, the most likely candidate is Greed, which Subaru has the highest affinity for. Though the actual result of such a thing is totally up in the air. (Stillness of an Object's Time for Cor Leonis'd targets, perhaps? It'd probably stop his heart if he did that, and he could probably only do it for one ally at a time.)**

_Also, will we see the servants react to Satella?_

**Yes.**


	18. Chapter 18

**18: Knight of Betrayal**

* * *

The sounds of clashing blades slowly fade as we make our way through the forest behind Ryuudou Temple. Of course, calling it a forest is a bit of an overstatement. All that's been left here is jagged husks of tree trunks, turned to charcoal from the heat of the flames. For some reason, it's only the mountainside above the cave that still has live plants on it - though those are starting to brown and die as well. The smoke constantly clouding the sky has choked them of the light they need to live.

"Man, this place is the worst…" I mutter as we approach the cave.

"...Is there something wrong, Senpai?" Mash asks.

"Ugh, it's the atmosphere. I'm sick of this dull red sky and all the smoke! I need fresh air and sunlight, dammit!" I whine. I may have spent three months of my life as a nocturnal NEET, but those days are behind me! Natsuki Subaru is a creature of the day now!

"...Well, it's a bit different for me." Says Mash, smiling. "I've never been allowed outside Chaldea, so getting to sightsee like this is kind of fun."

"Something super unforgivable just came out!" I exclaim. "Keeping Mash locked up like that… as expected, Magi on Earth are just way too gross! I mean, there were some real nutcases back home, but they were the exception, not the rule!"

"N-no, Senpai, it wasn't some kind of involuntary imprisonment! Um, for various reasons, I was born with a weak immune system - so I had to be kept under close observation. That's all!" Mash replies, frantically waving her hands back and forth.

...You know, the more Mash tells me about herself, the more obvious it becomes that she probably wasn't born under normal circumstances. Of course, considering herself inexperienced in 'being human' was already a pretty big sign.

"...Well, considering the amount of friends I've got who were born with weird circumstances, something like that is pretty much par for the course." I say with a nod. "Anyway, if you want to go somewhere not on fire after this mess is over, I'll try to figure out some way to break you out. I've somehow become a reliable senpai character, after all."

"Um, now that I'm a Demi-Servant, I'll probably be given a bit more freedom to go outside, so a big breakout is probably unnecessary." She says, blushing a bit.

"Mm. That's good, then. Anyway, we're getting close, so is everyone ready?" I say.

Mash's face straightens, and she gives a single nod.

"...I am as ready as I _can_ be to confront a monster like that." Says Hanam with a sigh. "Unfortunately, without my Noble Phantasm, I'm unlikely to be able to land any kind of killing blow. Between her armor and that wind of hers, my dirks will be little more than an annoyance. If my Protection Against the Wind was active, I could maybe land a blow in melee, but…"

"That's fine. Even a small distraction could seal the deal, after all." I reply. "As usual, we'll be relying on you for the heavy lifting, Mordred."

The knight doesn't respond at all, silently staring ahead with a feral grin on her face - but looking more closely, that grin doesn't seem to be reaching her eyes.

"...Mordred?"

"Eh? Oh, um, right." She says, stumbling a bit as I call her name. "Don't worry about a thing. There's no possible way some copy of Father could take me on!"

"...Alright, we'll be counting on you, then. Remember, your Noble Phantasm can repel hers, but it won't surpass it. So do your best to stay on top of her and keep her from getting the room to use the thing." I say. "Oh, and whatever you do, don't smash the Grail. It'll spill gross mud everywhere, and I'm pretty sure it'll melt you if you let it get on you."

"Uh, right." She replies with a bit of a puzzled look.

"...Okay, unless anyone needs a last minute bathroom break, let's go." I conclude.

* * *

"Show yourself, you fake!" Yells Mordred as we enter the cave of the Greater Grail.

Naturally, Saber doesn't bother to chitchat. From her perch atop the stone rim, she raises her sword, awash with purple-black light. "[Excalibur…"

"Mash, I'm counting on you!" I yell.

"[Lord Chaldeas]!" Mash yells, and the now-familiar white wall deflects a torrent of energy from Saber's blade. If memory serves, she's gonna try to just use it again immediately, so…

"Mordred, by my command spell - close the distance between yourself and Saber, and strike her down!" I shout, with both my command spell and Mordred herself burning with red light as she explodes past the marble wall, blade raised.

Saber's own sword clangs against hers, black mana clashing and entwining with red - but Mordred safely finds her footing atop the wall, allowing her to follow up and lock Arthur into a melee battle.

And so, silhouetted by the faint burgundy glow of the defiled Holy Grail, the final battle begins.

* * *

A near indiscernible storm of sparks and mana - screeches and clangs of steel against steel - rages above us as Mash and I watch "Father" and "Son" clash. Hanam has been lending aid here and there with thrown knives, but beyond a bit of damage to Saber's hair, his efforts have been fruitless.

"My apologies, lord mage. Saber's instinct is simply too strong. As I feared, it seems I'm little more than dead weight in a fight like this." He says, as if reading my mind - I guess I must have glanced at him or something. "I've already expended a little over half of my dirks, and retrieval is near impossible at the moment."

"Well, that's just how it goes sometimes." I'm more than used to being dead weight in combat, after all. "We'll just have to place our faith in Mordred… so, [Cor Leonis]- ghk!"

I cringe as pain wracks my body. A thousand tiny discomforts that Mordred is laboring under - bruises, scrapes, and sores from the battle - add up to my being incredibly uncomfortable. Of course, that's expected of a battle between knights of this level. What's not expected is the absolute _torrent _of emotions that our connection carries to me. Uncertainty, fear, hesitation, sorrow, rage, and regret crash upon my soul at the same time that the physical injuries hit me.

I nearly puke from the pressure of it all.

"C-come to think of it, just when did this damn thing start transferring emotions, huh?" I mutter. "Seriously, can't these Authorities just stay consis-"

Skree-!

My words die in my throat as a screech of steel much louder than those before resounds through the cavern.

The sound of Excalibur Morgan punching cleanly through Mordred's armor, and out the other side.

"No…" I mumble mutely. Why!? Cor Leonis was active, so-!

{Master, a command spell.} Mordred's voice resounds in my head.

Oh. _Oh._

It was a bluff. Duh. Did I seriously forget about Avalon this easily? My Second command spell burns bright - and Mordred grins as red lightning crackles around her. "[Clarent... Blood Arthur]!" She roars, and a wave of destruction erupts from her blade. However…

Saber kicks backwards, withdrawing her blade from Mordred's chest, and sending the knight careening backwards with a burst of black mana. Clarent's mana laser thing smashes through the wall of the cavern, arcing upwards and cleaving through the ceiling as Mordred is kicked onto her back. The cave of the Greater Grail cracks open like an egg, exposing the dull red, smoke-shrouded sky of Fuyuki as sediment, stone, and withering plants pour into the chamber.

"Do you think me fool enough to fall for the same trick twice, Sir Mordred?" Saber says, finally speaking for the first time this fight. "Battle Continuation was expected from you, _this time_. And now you have simply suffered a fatal wound for no reason."

Mordred stands, smiling as golden light shines from her wound - and from all her other minor injuries, which I feel sealing shut with Cor Leonis. "Sure, I've got that skill… but at the moment, I'm leaning on something different! You see, I managed to get my hands on a certain scabbard!"

"An incorrigible thief as always, I suppose. I don't know why I thought that a thug like you would fit in among my knights in the first place." Arthur says with a scowl.

(Rage bubbles in my gut, mixed with doubt and a slowly rising dread).

"You… Just where do you get off, pretending to be Father! Stop acting as if you're him!" Mordred shouts, rocketing towards her with another wild slash. "Father was perfect, so… there's no way he could get tainted by some curse!"

Mordred is easily repelled. Every one of her attacks is telegraphed long in advance, and the knight can't land a single hit - Arthur, meanwhile, lands blow after blow, utterly dismantling Mordred. Luckily, Avalon keeps any of said wounds from mattering too much - but I doubt the scabbard is unlimited in the amount it can heal, especially with its function already being distorted beyond its original purpose.

She was matching Arthur blow for blow before, but now…

Well, the reason is clear enough. I can tell from the steadily building dread I'm siphoning from her with Cor Leonis that her mind must be racing, desperately trying to deny the possibility that this person is actually King Arthur. And, of course, Mordred is someone who fights on pure instinct - any thought is an interruption, a potential stumbling block.

Not unlike a certain other loudmouthed blond back home, I suppose.

"You're wrong. Although, you surely already knew that." Arthur says coldly. "I am the very same King of Knights that you slew at Camlann."

"Bastard! You can't possibly expect me to believe that! You're too different! There's no way that Father would ever let Excalibur end up like that!" Mordred roars. Inside me, I can feel her fear and guilt reach a fever pitch, pounding at the walls of my heart. Don't say it. Please, don't say it.

"Different?" Arthur asks. "Yes, there is a difference between the 'me' you knew and myself, and that is-"

Don't say it don't say it don't say it-

"-I had not yet properly learned the lesson of Camlann."

I vomit in Mordred's place. The entirety of her _physical _burden is taken onto me. But, apparently I can't take all of her emotional pain - only a portion of it. And so, even though I'm giving it my best effort, even though I'm doing all I can to soften the blow-!

I'm still forced to watch as Mordred's heart breaks into a million pieces.

* * *

**A/N:**

**To be clear, Mordred is misinterpreting Artoria's words.**

**Salter doesn't blame Mordred for Camelot's fall. She only blames herself. Her interpretation of Camlann is that she was lacking in the capacity of kingship, that she took the wrong path at some point - and that the cause of her failing is that she was 'selfish' and didn't realize that "a king has no room for luxuries such as mercy, kindness, or chivalry".**

**But to Mordred, that sounds a lot like "you're the reason I wound up like this".**

**Anyway, sorry for the lateness here. Stuff came up that occupied my weekend, and then I wound up behind on GudaGuda 3 missions so Monday and tuesday were busy, and then wednesday I had to take my car in because the check engine light was on.**

**Also, I procrastinated. That too.**

**Anyway, next chapter...Sunday, perhaps?**

* * *

_JD91B said:_

_Isnt Emiya Alter the result of some kind of mumbo jumbo with Kiara? How come he is appearing in this Emiyas mind? And thanks for the chapter._

**Emiya was tainted by grail mud, he's being altered. It's just slower for improper heroic spirits like Emiya and Kojiro**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_Huh, so EMIYA isn't in his Altered version but is influensed by it? Neat._

**He IS being altered, but it's slow (per Heaven's Feel, Servants that aren't actual Heroic Spirits have resistance to grail mud).**

_In the first chapter you mentioned something about Barusu having fractured magical circuits. Will that influence his magecraft in some way, be unable to use any, or is it just the computer detecting Satella?_

**He can't use any of his own mana directly. Servants can still siphon it from him by contract, and his mystic code can pull mana from him to power it's functions, but if he casts directly into the world, ambient mana will flow into his soul through the wrong channels and overwrite his existence. Not fun.**

_tarrasque698 said:_

_If Subaru decides to learn magic in Chaldea, what would be its origin?_

_the attribute is probably darkness or yin_

**Subaru's origin is probably "Star". **

_Guest said:_

_Wait so Reinhard can solo every grand, the king of heroes and everyone else, and I thought he wast just top tier._

**Uh, if you're talking about that tierlist thing in chapter 12, check it again. Reinhard is below Karna/Enkidu/Archer Herc/Artoria/etc., that is to say, two tiers lower than gil and several below the beasts and grands. He's strong, but only about as strong as Herc-serker. _Reid _is one higher, but even the original sword saint would probably get wiped by a serious gilgamesh (assuming the battle was on Earth. In Lugnica, Reid's fame bonus lets him pretty much roflstomp everyone except Satella and Volcanica).**


	19. Chapter 19

**19: Mordred Pendragon**

"...My son?"

"Mm! That's what mother said! Apparently she went and made me as a clone of you, in order to destroy you. Buuuut~! Mother totally failed to account for my own free will, and I wound up deciding to follow you instead!"

"I see. That is good to hear. Though, I already knew about your relation to Morgan. Gawain, Agravain, Gareth - at some point, each of them came to warn me that you were a weapon of hers. They will be glad to hear you finally came clean."

"Heh... so you already knew, huh? As expected of the perfect King of Knights, I guess… But, Mother's not the important part! You know how all those stuffy nobles have been whining about you not producing an heir? Well, since I'm actually your son-!"

"No."

"...What?"

"No. You could not possibly be the heir of Britain."

"But… I'm… I'm one of your strongest knights! Lancelot and Gawain aside, and discounting Galahad, since he's gone… there's no one better than me! And I'm loyal! You know I'm loyal! Just how many rebel armies have I crushed for your sake!? So..!"

"Your strength as a knight is irrelevant. Someone like you could never be the king that Britain needs. That is all there is to it."

"You won't recognize me as your son? That's your answer, King of Knights!?"

(He says nothing. He simply turns, and walks away.)

"I was happy just being in your shadow! But, you never turned around to face me. My King! Then, I will..!"

"I will destroy everything you represent! Arthur!"

* * *

I succeeded. Looking at the person in front of me, hearing him say those words, there's no one who could argue that I wasn't successful. I tore apart Father's kingdom, killed him, laid waste to everything he ever stood for.

And, after all of my work was done… what remained, was-!

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was wrong." The words tumble out of my mouth, my voice quivering as tears well up in my eyes. Father's sword falls from my grasp, and I collapse to my knees.

"I will not forgive you, Mordred." He says coldly.

I can't even look at him as he approaches me. All I can do... is keep repeating meaningless apologies that won't change anything.

"I was being childish. I didn't know what I was doing. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. So… please, go back to how you were before, father-!"

I finally look up at him as I wail, tears streaming from my eyes. His eyes are yellow, instead of the green I remember, and for an instant some hope wells up, that this might possibly, somehow, be a fake like I thought.

But I ruthlessly crush that hope before it can sprout. The fighting style, and his words before… that couldn't be faked. That face, as well - too much like my own, and yet just a bit more ordered. His hair is back in a bun as usual, but the warm smile I remember so fondly isn't there. That's to be expected, of course.

The king never smiled at his enemies.

"Ah… why did I ever..?" I mumble.

"You misunderstand, Sir Mordred. I will not forgive you, because there is nothing to forgive. I hold no grudge against you for your role at Camlann." Father says, staring down at me. For a moment, my heart begins to rise - but then, I realize what he's about to say. "After all, the one at fault…"

"No! Don't say that! Please, Father, don't-!" I scream.

It's worse than I could have possibly imagined.

When I heard he was here in Fuyuki, I was overjoyed. _"We can have a proper confrontation, and get angry with each other, and in the end it will devolve into a fistfight where we call each other's names loudly and in the end one of us pounds the other's face in. And it won't matter who wins, because in the end, we'll both get the catharsis where our lasting grudges are resolved."_

\- I thought something naive like that. How stupid. How utterly foolish of me. Because, in the end...

"The one at fault, was _myself_." He concludes, and my protests end with a choked sob.

...In the end, even my grudge was just a one-sided romantic delusion.

"My slothfulness was to blame. I was insufficiently prepared, and indulged in luxury - that is why Camelot fell."

"Just who the hell are you talking about!? You never rested, never faltered - the finest luxuries were brought to Camelot, but be it wine, women, or even just fancy clothes - you didn't touch a single bit of it!" I scream.

Father, you idiot! Blame anyone else! Blame Merlin, Tristan, and Kay for leaving! Blame Gawain, Gareth, Bedivere, and Agravain for not being strong enough! Blame Lancelot and myself for being traitors! But, but -! Stop trying to take all the blame for yourself!

"Mercy." Arthur says coldly, and I freeze.

"What..?" I ask, as the horror sinks in even deeper. Surely, he couldn't be…

"Mercy. Chivalry. Kindness. Comradery. Dreams." Arthur says, and then, suddenly, his boot meets my chin, sending me flying backwards until I crash into the wall of the Grail.

"...These, too, were luxuries unbefitting a king. In the end, what I ought to have done… is, without mercy, strike down every last person who dared to question my rule. The only virtue fit for a king is _strength_. Enough to destroy every last enemy that approaches our shores."

He catches me, and begins hauling my up the steep incline, dragging me towards the rim of the Grail. That's right, Master said that the mud inside would 'melt me if I got it on me'. I guess that would bypass Avalon's healing. He'll… kill me, if I don't fight back.

But I can't bring myself to fight anymore.

"Idiot!" someone yells.

...Down, below the Grail, being actively held back by Galahad's demi-servant, Natsuki Subaru is shouting up at us. No, at Father.

"Idiot! 'I'll just abandon all my principles and kill everyone who dissents, surely that will crush the rebellion.' - are you seriously that stupid!" He yells.

"Hmph. If you think rebellion against tyrants is some kind of historical rule, you ought to study history a bit better, Master of Chaldea. In truth, it's only ever the soft-hearted successor who is overthrown. He who gives rebels an inch will see them take a mile, but I will not give them a millimeter." Father spits.

"...I don't know a thing about the people of King Arthur's Britain. I don't know any of your knights except Mordred, and even her I've only known about a day-and-a-half." Natsuki Subaru says, almost as if boasting.

"...But. I know that if the king that I serve started behaving like that, then I would do whatever it took to get her off of the throne! Because, when you're backed into the corner, when you feel alone, when you feel like the only path forwards is to abandon your moral compass and become some kind of monster-!"

He breathes in.

"-That's when the people that love you are supposed to step in and make you stop!"

Ah.

That's right. I'd almost forgotten.

The reason that I wanted to be king in the first place. That is..!

I kick my way free of Father's grip, rocketing backwards with a Mana Burst, in order to recover my dropped sword.

{Thanks, Master.} I say telepathically. {...That put things in perspective, just a bit.}

{Well, that's good. I was basically just parroting something a friend told me a while back, but I'm glad it helped you out.} he says, and over next to Shielder I can see him scratching his arm nervously.

Arthur lands a few meters away from me. "So you've got some fight left in you after all. No matter. How much longer can Avalon function like that? Five minutes? Ten? You only held it for so long back then before hiding it, after all. And once you run out of time."

"Yeah, yeah, you'll kick my ass. I get it." I say, smile sliding back onto my face. "But before we resume, there's something I wanna confirm."

"And that is?"

"If the only thing a king needs is power, then… if- no, _when _I beat you, that means I'm the better king. By your own logic, you've gotta accept me." I say, enjoying the way his emotionless face is just barely twitching into an angry scowl.

"You will not defeat me. Don't waste your last words on such meaningless things." Father says, barely repressed anger leaking into his voice.

"I'll take that as a yes, then." I reply, smirking. "And, one more thing."

"You're only wasting the time you have left with Avalon. But go ahead."

"I'm sorry. Back then, at Camlann, I was wrong." It needs to be said. I need to properly say my piece.

"As I said, your apology is meaningless. I don't-"

"That is, I said the wrong thing. Back then, I said, 'I hate you'. But, what I should have said was-!" I point my sword at him, smile finally sinking into a melancholy, bittersweet thing.

"I will, definitely, save you."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Who's this sliding in just as Sunday is barely more than a technicality!?**

**It's me! Xorn! Your favorite(?) late-night procrastinating author!**

**What was meant to be a single chapter has been split into two. Next chapter, tentatively titled "Clarent", will also be from Mo-san's perspective.**

**Hopefully will be finished Wednesday or earlier.**

* * *

**Review responses:**

stormsyaf said:

_I don't know why but your subaru death doesn't feel as bad and suffering as in the novel. It might probably because the novel has much more details_

**Yeah I kinda skimmed through a lot of the deaths. I don't have quite the same level of sadism as Tappei.**

_DemonRaily said:_

_I am with saber that she kind of failed as a king, but it's all the opposite reasons then she thinks._

_She learned all the wrong lessons in life to a point I suspect Merlin set it up in a way that her rule would be really limited in time and would reach a bad end. No wonder he was locked away until the end of the world, makes more sense than for him just being sleazy._

**I don't think that's ever implied in any of the sources I've seen. Though yeah merlin was not necessarily a purely good influence on Artoria. In Garden of Avalon, Kay gets mad at Merlin for what his teaching did to her.**

_SING MY ANGEL SING said:_

_Subaru should always have loli spirit to follow him in his travels. With that in mind, I vote for him to summon Abby since Abby is best daughter and also because Foreigner shenanigans._

**Abby can't be summoned pre salem because then Subaru could just leave to Lugnica early. To be clear, the "gentleman who travels through space and time" that Zel referenced in chapter 4 was Carter. The silver keys are Subaru's ticket home.**

**Also, Abby doesn't exist on the throne as a foreigner pre-salem I don't think.**

_Guest said:_

_Since Command Spells just throw a bunch of mana at a target until something happens, could Subaru use Command Spells between Singularities to forcibly accelerate the development of his Authorities? Or would he just die (poor guy). Also, could Subaru kill Servants with his Invisible Providence? (maybe phase through them and do a rip off Curse Arm Zabaniya, or just lobotomize them with a punch to the brain)_

**Authorities don't run off mana, so throwing mana at them doesn't do anything. Foricibly accelerate growth, maybe, but doing such a thing would probably just result in Bad Things.**


	20. Chapter 20

**20: Clarent**

* * *

Lightning pulses around me as I use Mana Burst to close the distance to Father. Of course, long before I reach him-

"[Excalibur… Morgan]!"

A torrent of inky blackness fills my vision, but the golden light shining forth from the sheath strapped to my hip allows me to force my way through it.

And then, I'm in melee range, and our blades meet again. And again, and again. We rocket around the cavern, heedless of gravity, of the earth, of anything except each other and the swords we hold.

Boisterously, thunderously, two dragons dance through the Greater Grail's resting place, shaking the walls, the ceiling, even the oversized cup itself.

It's a meaningless battle. Utterly pointless. I know that. Father knows that. The past won't change.

No matter who wins here, neither Camelot nor King Arthur will be saved.

Even if Father were to go back in time, and become the ultimate tyrant he thinks could do the job - the fact is, the Camelot he would create wouldn't look a thing like the Camelot he wishes to save.

Even if I were to go back in time, and draw the sword of selection in Father's place - the fact is, the person I saved from his miserable fate wouldn't be a thing like the person I want to save.

King Arthur and Mordred fell at Camlann, and Camelot fell soon thereafter. That will not change. Father died in terrible pain, and saw everything he loved lost. That, too, will not change.

King Arthur will not be saved. The King of Knights cannot be saved.

But the person, Arthur Pendragon, still might be.

* * *

Second after second, minute after minute, our frantic fight continues. Even with me completely disregarding my own safety, even after throwing away all pretense and relying completely on Avalon to keep me alive - I still have yet to land more than a glancing blow.

This new black armor of Father's is a serious problem. Under normal circumstances, a Servant's armor is of limited utility - for any servant with strength over C-rank, putting a blade through steel is no harder than putting it through cardboard. My armor might as well be nonexistent as far as Father is concerned - and were he wearing the same set he wore in life, the reverse would be true.

But he's _not._ And that black armor, a set that he never wore in life, is capable of withstanding Clarent - at least for a few milliseconds, which is all he needs in order to use a Mana Burst to force me back. It certainly makes my life more difficult.

On the other hand, I'm almost certain that the armor is the reason I wasn't killed earlier. It's heavy, unbelievably so. I'm almost certain that Father's taken at least one rank down in Agility as a result of wearing it - and that's probably the reason I wasn't pitched into the grail before Master had a chance to rouse my spirits.

Ultimately, it's not like the armor or lack thereof changes much. If he weren't wearing such a thing, Father would simply parry my every attack, since he wouldn't be slowed by the weight. Even as we are now, it's only one attack in a hundred that can slip past his guard and necessitate a Mana Burst.

Even with the full weight of my legend behind me, even after I usurped Avalon, even with the sword that killed King Arthur in hand - I'm still no match for Father.

"_You didn't have the capacity of a King." _\- Once again, those words resound in my head.

I know.

I know, dammit.

I could never measure up to Father. King Arthur is "perfect", after all. No one else could play such a role - no, in the end, not even Arthur Pendragon was a match for "King Arthur". Such was the impossible standard he set for himself.

I was naive to believe that I could best this version of King Arthur in combat. If King Arthur believes that "The only thing that matters to a king is power", then he will become the most powerful existence without fail. Because Arthur Pendragon will always be perfect.

In fact, the only reason I defeated him before was because he became "too perfect". A perfect chivalrous king who only failed because he was faced with an absurd, childish "king" who was willing to break every rule of kingship to get the throne.

Oh. Right, I should just do that again, huh?

* * *

I jump backwards, my helmet shifting away from my face as I prepare for my attack.

{Master, a command spell.} I say, even as Father raises an eyebrow and readies his own Noble Phantasm to deflect mine.

"[Excalibur…"

{...This is the last one, you know? Remember, [Clarent Blood Arthur] won't trump [Excalibur Morgan]. They'll just make a big crater, and that's it.} He interjects. I'm not certain how he's so certain, but it does sound correct.

{Don't worry. I've got a plan. It's pretty stupid, but I think it's our best shot.} I reply. It's a stupid plan. Completely idiotic. An absolutely absurd scheme that will only work because the "perfect" warrior-king couldn't possibly imagine one of his knights could be such an utter failure.

{I already sent Hanam to go try to finish off Archer and send Caster to help us, you know. Back when you looked like you had completely given up.} He shoots back.

{Please, Master. I know I'm asking a lot, but…}

{I know, I know. This is your battle, not Caster's. Fine.} He sighs. "Mordred, by my command spell, activate your Noble Phantasm!" The light of his final command spell shines, and red mana begins to blaze forth from Clarent.

He waits. Waits for the exact moment that I release the beam from my sword, so he can counter it with his own, and render our final command spell useless.

So, naturally, I _don't_. I just rocket directly towards him with Mana Burst.

"...Morgan]!" Father yells, and black mana fills my sight. But Avalon prevents me from taking any injuries, and my own instincts guide me to land the all-important swing.

"[Clarent]!" I roar, driving my blade directly down on him. Father scoffs, and his blade easily meets mine - and then his eyes widen, as he finally realizes my intentions.

Clarent clashes against Excalibur for the final time - and then, in a supernova of mana and lightning, my [Broken Phantasm] explodes.

* * *

"Are you kidding me!?" Yells the Director. In my ear. "She seriously used a Broken Phantasm!?"

"I guess?" I say, plugging my right ear with a finger and wincing. "What… exactly _is _a Broken Phantasm?"

"It lets a servant sacrifice their Noble Phantasm for a slightly stronger attack - in short, it's totally useless! A completely idiotic technique that leaves the Servant a sitting duck once it's over!"

I let out a small "Hm," as the smoke clears. Arthur is still standing, barely. But her sword has fallen, and her arms are both hanging limply at her sides. Left and right are each broken in several places, with the skin below her elbows flayed apart, and everything below her wrist little more than bone and tendons. Mordred, on the other hand, is unharmed, thanks to Avalon. "Seems to have worked out, though."

"Sure, but it's not like she can get Clarent back now! You've seen how useless that Assassin is without his arm; this is the same kind of thing!" Olga Marie says. Oi, you'd hurt Hanam's feelings if he heard you, you know! Losing your only weapon isn't the end; just look at me, I broke my gate, but things turned out alright in the end!

Arthur assumes a crude kickboxing stance - but before she can put up any resistance, Mordred charges forward. Avalon is torn from its place at her hip, and-!

"Grit your teeth, Arthur!" Mordred yells, swinging the scabbard with both hands at her father's head.

"Oh, a pop fly." I note as the King of Knights is launched into the air. She bounces once, twice, and lands in a broken heap a few meters away from me.

"I… I can still…" She groans, slowly trying to rise to her feet.

I sigh as I approach her. "Stay down already. You lost. Seriously, Mordred got it exactly wrong earlier. You and I are _way _too similar, in all the wrong ways. I mean, the me of the present is pretty different from you, but that's just because I was just lucky enough to have people around who could talk some sense into me."

"Y-you..!" Saber snarls, her cold facade starting to break as her eyes glisten. But even still, she presses what's left of her hands into the dirt floor - and they break under the strain, tendons tearing as her hands fall off her wrists. "Gah!"

"Can you stop? Please, it hurts to look at you." I say, scratching my arm. "Just who are you trying to act all cool for?"

"The king must-!"

I cut her off. "King of who? Your subjects aren't here, you know. Just how prideful-?"

"That's enough, Master." Mordred says. She's holding Avalon, which seems to have returned to its previous color - and Excalibur, which has been returned to its scabbard, and is rapidly changing colors even as she speaks. "You too, Father. You lost. I'm the King now."

"And so what!?" Arthur spits. "Camelot is gone! You can play king all you want, but everyone is already-!"

"Idiot. I never gave a damn about Camelot. The important part is - you're not king anymore, Father." Mordred says with a smirk.

"You! Then all of this, everything you did was-!?" Arthur roars in anguish.

"You aren't the King. So, please, yell at me. Cry. Hate me." She continues, her smile growing bitter. "And, the next time you get summoned - Be Arthur Pendragon, not King Arthur."

"...What are you..?"

"Make friends with the person who summoned you. Eat good food, not the tasteless slop we had at Camelot! Enjoy the comforts of everyday life! Please, just for once… live the life you want, instead of what someone else wanted for you!" Mordred concludes, smiling even as tears stream down her face.

"...Sir Mordred, you truly are a fool." Arthur says, heaving a melancholy sigh. "From the beginning… there was only one life I desired."

And then, she dissolves into a storm of golden lights.

"No!" Mordred screams, desperately grabbing at the cloud of golden sparkles. As she does so, she drops Avalon, and I note blade and scabbard alike disintegrating to join the rising cloud of dust. "That's not..! Father-!"

She falls to her knees pounding at the dust of the cavern floor as sob after sob rips its way free from her throat.

From the rising motes of light, Arthur's last words emanate. "I leave the rest to you, Sir Mordred. Grand Order - the battle to Obtain the Holy Grail has only just begun."

* * *

**A/N:**

**One day late, at 4:30 AM!? When else would I finish writing!?**

**A few people on SB: "Wow this feels like an NP upgrade chapter"**

**Mordred: "I will now break Clarent."**

**Certain parts of the chapter felt very clumsy, but maybe that's my lack of sleep and self-doubt talking.**

**Next chapter Monday at the latest.**

* * *

**Review responses:**

_Guest said:_

_I think you should do change your environment to not procrastinate as much and think of your death and hurry we need more content_

**Please have mercy! I am trying to update at least twice a week, that's better than my monthly pace on previous stories!**

_Guest said:_

_Mordred: "I will, definitely, save you."_

_Subaru: *arc 1 bowel hunter flashbacks* "I need a club!"_

**That was, indeed, the callback**

_Wouldn't it suck if Subaru somehow gets around summoning the Archbishops/Witches only to summon Elsa instead? Or with Subaru's luck, he'd somehow summon TonChinKan before anyone else he knows(because suffering)_

**TonChinKan don't qualify to be heroic spirits. Elsa miiiight. Maybe. But she probably couldn't be summoned on Earth.**

_Same gues said:_

_Hey author says without blessing Reinhard has same power by the way do you think his based of from galactic hero rein_

**I mean yeah, his blessings aside Reinhard is still a friggen monster. In terms of pure swordsmanship the guy would be pretty up there as far as Heroic Spirits go, and his stats wouldn't be anything to scoff at. That's why he's in roughly the same tier as bersercules. Like, he could easily dumpster the vast majority of servants. But that top ten percent or so are all serious business in their own right.**

**Also don't know who that is, sorry.**


	21. Chapter 21

**21: As always, the two clash (Lancer Side).**

* * *

Gae Bolg is returned to my grasp. I had added runes to return stolen property to my hand on the _second damn day _of this mess of a war, after Archer pulled out Fergus's sword for the first time.

"_Kind of a long shot, but the potential payoff is definitely worth it."_ \- that's what I figured at the time.

And, well, I was right! Even if I end up dying like a chump, the look of shock on the bastard's face as I snatch one of his own weapons from his Reality Marble is absolutely _priceless._

Of course, there's still every other weapon in this place to contend with.

What faint light is present in this dark, rusted world is obscured as an uncountable number of blades rain down on me. And so, with my staff in my right hand, and my spear in my left, I charge. After all, facing down an army's worth of swords, with nothing but my wits and my spear..!

"Something like this, is just business as usual!"

* * *

Archer's world of infinite swords may look impressive, but it's really no big deal as far as someone like me is concerned. The vast majority - something like seventy percent - of the assorted weapons raining down on me are just nameless, everyday swords. They aren't even worth a second thought; my [Protection From Arrows] will allow me to dodge or deflect them without even noticing.

No, the real problem here is that other thirty percent - the Noble Phantasms. The exceptional weapons that may have the ability to bypass my Protection. And so, even as I run towards Archer, my eyes and ears are straining themselves to their limits to pick out the proverbial needles in the haystack, the weapons that are an actual threat.

Caladbolg. Durandal. Hrunting. Each one is singled out, and each one is blown out of the air by a well-placed bolt of flame.

Lancer's scythe can be safely ignored. It doesn't have any annoying explosive or target-seeking properties, so I can just dodge it.

A spear of light that gives off the same feeling as my Gae Bolg - that can't be the _real _Gungnir, right? I throw my spear, which smashes through it with ease. Definitely a fake, then.

Gae Bolg smashes a Holy Sword, and a near identical looking Demonic Sword, out of the air on its way back to my hand.

A sound of crashing metal as something carves through the storm of swords, knocking all in its way aside - a mountain-sized sword, hewn of rock, fit only to be wielded by a giant or a god.

"[Wicker Man]!" - My Noble Phantasm snatches the colossal sword out of the air, crudely grasping it and swinging to bat hundreds, thousands of weapons out of the sky.

A similarly massive sword-like weapon - multiple blades of flame mounted along the spine of some ancient creature - arcs through the air, flooding Archer's world with light as a wall of fire erupts from its jagged blades. The fire cleaves through Archer's weapons, through my Wicker Man, through the ground and the sky themselves.

It leaves a gorge of glass in the sands of the Reality Marble, and a cleft in the black sky through which a waterfall of molten gold pours.

Of course, my Wicker Man rapidly reconstructs itself. It was a being of fire to begin with - something like this won't slow it down for long. But more and more Noble Phantasms crash into the giant, and eventually, the Wicker Man is driven to its knees.

But that's fine. Any Noble Phantasms targeted at it are weapons I don't have to deal with. Empowering my agility with runes, I rocket forwards to Archer's location.

* * *

He starts running at some point - giving up on standing at the top of his hill like a tool, he flees across the graveyard of swords, taking potshots at me with that bow of his all the while. I'll catch him eventually, of course - the runes enhancing my speed make me about a rank higher than him in agility.

Of course, I'd have no difficulty catching him if I had been summoned as a _Lancer_, but by this point I've complained enough about my class for one war.

Still, this chase is starting to get annoying.

"Bastard! Get back here and fight me!" I yell, deflecting yet _another _copy of Hrunting. I think there are six or seven orbiting around me at various distances right now, which is beginning to get a bit dangerous.

"Get rid of that spear, and I'll think about it!" He yells back, hurling a pair of his shortswords at me.

"Not a chance in hell! Do you know how long I've been hoping you'd be stupid enough to pull out my own spear against me!?" I shout back as I bat the swords out of my way with my staff.

He sighs. "Since the night I first used Caladbolg?"

"Since the night you first used Caladbolg!"

"I figured…" he mutters, launching another Hrunting. The other seven copies are coming back around, too, so now seems like a decent time to reset the count. Adding a rune to my cloak, I bid a fond farewell and toss the garment into the air, where it's pincushioned by copies of Beowulf's blade.

His eyes widen as he notices my right arm - no sense in hiding the ball anymore, then. I was trying to hang onto them in case I needed to bail out the guys fighting Saber, but-!

"Command spells!?" Archer yells in shock.

That's right. Command Spells, which I looted from the corpse of my former master. The right arm of Kotomine Kirei, former overseer of the Holy Grail War, has been grafted onto my body in place of my own arm. And, since that cheating hack of a Master had ten Command Spells inherited from prior wars…

"Here goes nothing!" I yell as four of them flare to life, boosting my Agility to a truly absurd degree.

The efficiency is, of course, horrendous. Command Spells have an intended use case, and a Servant replacing their own arm with their master's using a combination of runecraft and crude spiritual surgery was _not _what the Founding Familes intended.

That being said, four Command Spells are still four Command Spells, and it's enough that I'm able to close the gap between myself and Archer almost instantly. Of course, the sheer pressure of moving at such speed obliterates every bone in Kotomine's arm, forcing me to astralize my staff - but I won't need it anymore.

"Your heart is mine! [Gae…!" I growl, spear surging with crimson light.

A familiar shield shoots to Archer's hands. "[Lord…!"

"...Bolg]!"

"Camelo-ghk!"

There's no clash of Noble Phantasms. No unstoppable force versus immovable object. No final flashy explosion where sword beams intertwine and tear the world around us apart.

Archer's heart was pierced before my spear was even thrust.

Such is the nature of Gae Bolg's thrust, which rewrites causality itself to ensure the death of its target. Furthermore, even setting aside his obliterated heart, the curse upon the spear will prevent healing and inflict massive damage to the rest of his body.

Archer coughs up a mixture of blood and molten metal as he collapses to his knees. "Gah… dammit. I got careless, huh? Or rather… honestly, what the hell were you doing, hanging on to a trump card like that for this long?"

I shrug. "To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure that I wasn't just gonna blow my own arm off trying that. I only actually went through with attaching this thing last night, after all. All that aside, you look like hell. Hurry up and disappear already, it hurts to look at you."

I'm not joking. At some point in our fight, his skin started splitting open, and his eyes turned yellow. By this point, he's bleeding metal everywhere. "The hell's with you bleeding gold, anyway?"

"There's- ghk- an old Japanese art form. Kintsugi. Where broken pottery is repaired using gold." He mutters through coughs. "Well… this metal… is pyrite, though."

"Fool's gold, huh?" I mutter, as the sky fills with even more cracks and cascading metal.

* * *

There's a sudden spike of bloodlust as I exit Archer's [Unlimited Blade Works]. I immediately whirl around towards the spot he should be standing - but that's not right! The attack is actually coming from-!

Clang!

Assassin, appearing seemingly from nowhere, barely deflects the scythe thrust at my exposed back. Lancer jumps back, getting some distance between us and herself.

I let out a low whistle. "Nice timing, Assassin. This mean you guys cleaned up Saber already?"

"No. Mordred was completely defeated, so Lord Magus sent me to help you finish off Archer so you could come help." He says. "Considering how desperate the situation there was... I will suffice hold off Lancer."

"...Well, I can't say I'm a fan of having my fights interrupted, but that wasn't what wound up happening, so I can't complain too much." I say with a sigh. "I'll leave it to you, then. Your magic resistance runes still working?"

"Yes. It should be a fairly even fight."

"Then I'll leave it to you. Try not to die, Assassin." I conclude. "I'll come back and bail you out when Saber's dead."

"Understood." He says, and he darts into action.

And so, I head to the cave of the Greater Grail.

* * *

**A/N:**

**The reason Cu didn't turn up in last loop was cuz he got ganked by Medusa. Subaru accidentally saved him this time LOL.**

**It's not specified what the yellow stuff in Emiya Alter's skin is, but it's almost definitely a Kintsugi reference, and I feel like having the metal be Iron Pyrite, AKA Fool's Gold , seems like the most obvious thematic choice.**

**"Gungnir" was an image a la Excalibur Image (only weaker), so it lost to the more real, rune-empowered Gae Bolg.**

**Rho Aias can't block anti-unit Gae Bolg (probably), so Emiya decided to try his new toy. But that didn't work either.**

**Next chapter Friday or earlier.**

* * *

**Review responses:**

_orion399 said:_

_Clarent will be back after re-summoning Mordred right? Or is it possible to summon Mordred anymore? Now that Arturia is gone, using Avalon as catalyst would summon her instead of Mordred. Maybe summon Arturia, then, Mordred using the same catalyst?_

**Avalon went poof last chapter with Excalibur (They fucked off to the reverse side of the world). However, it going poof there is something that will be edited out when I do a final edit of the chapters to this point after the Fuyuki arc is over. Regardless, Avalon will probably not end up in Chaldea, so resummoning Mordred is unlikely to work.**

_Also, I'm a bit curious about a couple of things._

_1\. Gil, Merlin and "Solomon" all have Clairvoyance EX. Do you think they would be able to realize that Subaru is save scumming?_

**RbD trumps clairvoyance type skills for purposes of this fic (considering that it trumps all the future-predicting stuff in re:zero, I feel this is fine to do).**

_2\. Would King Hassan be able to realize Subaru's ability? Gramps is said to be at the boundary of life and death, meaning he is one with Death, and is familiar with its ways._

_We could argue that Subaru already "knows" death and is familiar with its ways after getting violently murdered so many times. What would Gramps think of him?_

**Death-related servants are definitely gonna pick up on some weirdness with subaru. How so is undecided right now.**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_"You and I are way too similar, in all the wrong ways" Did you just hint that Saber Alter will be summoned? I always liked her and after Shinjuku... you get the idea._

**Unlikely. He was saved from going down her path thanks to best boy Otto. (Greed!Subaru has much higher affinity for her, but he ain't here).**

_IhevMelons9 said:_

_Take your time just please don't burn out. If you feel tired and want a rest do so._

**I'll slow down for a few weeks post Fuyuki, probably. But for now, I'm two or three chapters out from the last chapter of the arc, so I'm gonna try to finish it ASAP.**

_That being said, I am really looking forward to the first dream sequences of this fic. I feel like Mashu might start feeling insecure when she finds out about both Emilia and Rem. Big shoes to fill as main heroine and all. That or she might find some kinship with Rem on unrequited feelings for the MC._

**She doesn't have any romantic feelings for Subaru (yet). That being said, I'm not sure how I want to treat the dream sequences yet. I feel like it kinda drains some tension if everyone knows about RbD.**


	22. Chapter 22

**22: Teething**

* * *

There's a moment of silence as the golden dust that once made up the body of King Arthur floats away through the hole in the cavern's ceiling. But some of the feeble motes of light remain, suspended in midair - before rapidly condensing together in a blaze of light. Mash raises her shield, but there's no need. As the light fades, a small golden crystal floats to the ground, where it gently lands in front of the still weeping Mordred.

"...Confirming disappearance of enemy. Saber - King Arthur - has completely dispersed. Does this mean… we've won?" Mash says, slowly lowering her shield.

"Grand Order… How did the servant know that name?" I can barely hear the Director mumble over the communication link. Well, I can ask her about that later. But for now…

{Hanam. We somehow managed to beat Saber, but I'm pretty sure it's not over yet, so hurry up and get over here.} I tell the Assassin telepathically.

{...Understood. Caster actually just finished off Archer when I arrived, so we'll be there shortly.} He replies. {Stay safe until then, Lord Mage.}

{Me? I always stay safe, you know. I'm not someone who risks his life needlessly.}

I smile at the bemused chuckle I receive in response. Still, probably not the time to be messing around.

"Mash, don't let your guard down. You too, Mordred - you can mourn properly later. We're not out of the woods just yet." I say, looking around the room. I can feel it. The sixth sense that I developed during my time in Lugnica is still screaming at me - I'm absolutely certain that my life is still in danger. "After all, when it all seems over, and when the heroes think they've won, that's when the real villain appears! Isn't that right - Duke of Hell, Flauros!?"

Silence is the only response to my question for a few seconds - but then, the footsteps become audible, and slowly a man in green comes into view, standing atop the Greater Grail. Laden with audible disgust, his voice resounds through the cavern.

"I had intended to wait a bit longer before revealing myself, but if I'm being called out like this, I suppose I've got no choice." Flauros spits. "Truly, you continue to surprise me at every step, candidate forty-eight. Humans… why can't you ever just cooperate? Our plan was completely airtight, but like disobedient dogs who refuse to be brought to the vet, you still struggle to avoid the treatment that our king has so graciously bestowed upon you."

"...Treatment?" I hear Romani ask from off to the Director's left, but she interrupts him.

"Lev! Stop this farce right this instant! Shake off that demon's control, and come back to me- I mean, to Chaldea, for rehabilitation! Are you a mage, or aren't you!? After all, there's no way… that someone like you could get controlled that easily, r-right?" shout's the director, her face flushed - I see, so she was a tsundere this whole time. Well, she's only got about a fourth of Beako or Emilia's cuteness, so it makes sense that I wouldn't pick up on it.

"...Demonic possession? Is that what you think is going on here?" Flauros says, his face shifting to a twisted, toothy smile. "That somehow, Lev Lainur was taken over by a foreign influence, through the machinations of a demon that he just happened to encounter by accident? That surely, surely, your friend and mentor couldn't have been a traitor the whole time? Hah! Hah! AHAHAHAHA!"

"No…" Olga mumbles, as her face fills with despair. "You can't be-! You're lying! You've got to be lying! So, Lev, please-!"

"Hah! How long has Lev been a vessel for Flauros? _Since three thousand years ago, of course!_ The sole reason for the existence of the Lainur family - the purpose behind our magic crest! From the beginning, it was all for this, singular, purpose! The salvation of all Humanity, through the only treatment that could possibly work!" He shouts, spittle flying from his mouth and eyes bulging wildly. And then, righting his posture, with his eyes narrowed and a wicked smile on his lips, in a low voice, he names his 'cure'.

_"Euthanization."_

As he speaks, he extends his hand, and the grail slowly rises into the air, flying to his grasp-!

"As if I'd let that happen- [Invisible Providence]!" I yell, a smoky black hand that only I can see latching onto the chalice and halting its motion.

"That magecraft again… no, it's not magecraft, or even an esper ability!? Natsuki Subaru… just what are you, exactly?" Flauros says, eyes narrowed. Faintly, seven glowing rings of light appear in the air around my body. "Oh well. It doesn't matter."

All the hairs on my body stand on end, and desperately I dive forward through a gap in the bands of light. An instant later-!

"[Incineration Ritual: Flauros] - you dodged it!?" the Demon exclaims, eyes wide as flames fill the now empty space.

"Of course I dodged it! It's scary!" I yell back.

"Professor Lev - no, Duke of Hell, Flauros, is definitely hostile!" Mash exclaims, raising her shield. "Director, orders please!"

I peek at the holographic display next to me, and can't help but grimace at what I'm seeing. Dead, unfocused eyes, and a vacant, broken expression. "Lev… Lev, you can't… you wouldn't…"

I'm reminded of a time when I wore a similar expression, just before I met Petelgeuse for the first time. Considering what it took for me to snap out of it, it's a safe bet she won't be in a good shape to give orders any time soon.

"Dammit, we'll have to deal with that later." I glance at my Servant, who stood up at some point, and is glaring up at Flauros. "Mordred, can you fight?"

"Of course. Who the hell do you think I am?" She says, flashing me a grin.

"Alright then." I say, fixing a grin on my face. "Mash, Mordred, let's-!"

I cut myself off. Seven rings of light, faintly shimmering - I just barely make them out, clipping through the wall of the Greater Grail like something you'd see in a videogame where none of the devs accounted for enemy models that were larger than average.

"[Incineration Ritual: Flauros]." The Demon coldly intones - and then the wall of the Grail smashes to pieces in a gout of flame, and black mud surges forth.

"[Lord Chaldeas]!" Mash yells, white wall manifesting even as the events of my prior loop replay themselves in my mind.

I inadvertently drop the grail as searing pain begins to shoot through my feet, black and red lines creeping up them. Nearby, I can see Mordred cringing, and Mash crying out in pain. It's happening again. Just like last time.

No way. Not a chance in hell. I won't let it, not this time! My heart pounds. My eyes fill with stars.

"[Cor Leonis]!" I roar, and the crimson spiderwebs already making their way up the limbs of my companions from the ankle deep mud recede - and then, everything goes black.

...The starting penalty is five.

* * *

The starting penalty is five. Life penalty, body penalty, freedom penalty, fame penalty, fortune penalty. Give the penalty that extends so much punishment, mud, darkness, and malice.

Die.  
_Ah._

death penalty penal servitude imprisonment custody fine penalty, crime from a grudge, crime from self-interest, unconscious crime, self-conscious crime, civil war, inducement, false statement, theft, robbery, kidnap, suicide, rape, arson, bombing, violation, negligent homicide, mass violence, death at work, overconfident accident,

Die. Die. Die.  
_We're going to die again._

misdiagnosis, concealment, violation for benefit, violation for self-protection, violation for love, violation for respect, selfish ▇▇. Stealing fraudulent fraud concealment murder theft crime crime personal grudge attack attack attack attack dirty dirty dirty you are dirty atone atone atone atone every violence every crime every victim atone for everything "This world is ruled by something not human" Know the conscience to reform crimes.

Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.  
_We're going to die, we may be dying, we might die, we're probably dying, because we're going to die, we're certainly dying, again we'll die, in all likelihood we'll die, since we can die, we'll definitely die!_

Know the penalty to reform crimes. People's kindness is here. There is so much it cannot be noticed. Know the violence to hide crimes. Know the power to hide crimes. People's malignance is here. It is so rare that it is noticed. A hundred kindnesses and one malignance. Malignance shines bright to keep the balance and exists as a great "evil" to compete with the masses of kindness. The starting penalty is five.

Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. 're suffocating._  
Choking to death on little morsels too small to even be called memories._

Die. Die. Die. Die. Diediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediedie-!  
_Onii-san - something like this ought to be simple enough. Things like "chewing" and "licking" are unnecessary for something like this._

DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE  
_Onii-san, you should know by now. The thing to do, when someone stuffs a bunch of food in your mouth, is-_

(I feel the sensation of small fingers, running down my throat.)  
_Swallow._

* * *

We hear explosions as our vision comes back into focus. Faintly, we can make out Flauros, laughing as he rains down flames upon Mash's shield.

Hot, bubbling tar surges out of our - no, out of my throat as I vomit. I'm burning. My stomach is on fire. I feel sick.

But, the bulk of the pain is gone now. The fragmented memories that made up the remnant of "Angra Mainyu" were completely digested, and then vomited back up. It was absolutely disgusting, but it seems to be over now.

Was that… Gluttony? The ability to consume "memories" and "names"? Ugh, I knew I had picked up an authority after that mess at the Watchtower - I certainly felt the familiar coiling of something inside me as things were wrapping up. But it doesn't feel like I was using an [Authority]... is that just something leftover from it's prior holder, or something?

"Oi, master, are you ok?" Mordred asks, patting me on the back. As I gaze down, I note that the stuff pouring from the grail has changed to sparkly purple in color. It doesn't seem like it's cursing anyone anymore… no way, did I just eat the curses?

"...Yeah. I'm fine now. That stuff was nasty, but I've apparently got a tendency to resist weird toxic goo, so no worries." I say with a forced grin. I gaze up at Flauros, ready to make a boast - and then I pause.

Cor Leonis is still active. And so, my allies seem kind of like they're glowing to my senses. So, it definitely gives me pause when, at the very center of the laughing Lev Lainur's body… I can just barely make out a faintly gleaming light.

...Let's try pulling on that, shall we?

* * *

**A/N:**

**A significant portion of the second section is lovingly plagiarized from the Fate/Stay Night VN. I do not have Nasu's talent for writing fucked up evilbabble. Also, I'd feel weird making up my own evilbabble for Angra, since I don't think I could measure up.**

**We've got two chapters and an epilogue to go, and then Fuyuki arc is FINALLY done.**

**Next chapter Monday-ish.**

* * *

**Reviews:**

_Shirosaki Kizuro said:_

_I thought Rho Aias are able to block the Gae Bolg as it's shown in UBW movie?_

**Yes and No. Rho Aias can block the _thrown _version of Gae Bolg, because it doesn't do the weird causality reversal thing when thrown.**

**Per Fate/Complete Material II:**

**Takeuchi: So, would Archer get hit?**

**Nasu: For sure. But since he knows about it, he wouldn't approach Lancer in the first place. If it looked like Lancer was seriously getting ready to use Gae Bolg, Archer would already be frantically getting as far away as possible.**

**Takeuchi: Ah, I see. That sort of tactic is always an option, huh? So what about the thrown version?**

**Nasu: The "Spear of Striking Death Flight". That one's just pure, simple destructive power.**

**Takeuchi: As expected. If you added on the concept of heart-piercing at long range too, then…**

**Nasu: …it would end up being the ability of Lancer's father. The ultimate version of Fragarach.**

**Takeuchi: Eternal Force Blizzard! And the target dies. Around that level.**

**Nasu: Naturally. Because the battles in mythology are freaking hax, right**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_I completely forgot about the dream sequences. Will the Servants witness Barusu's deaths? 'Cause those seem like imprtant parts of his life._

**I'm very torn. Typically we only see master's dreaming about their servant's lives, not the other way around, so I'll need to double check if we ever got confrimation that servants do dream of their masters. Also, it's real sketchy for the entire cast to learn about RbD too fast.**

_Will Barusu ever meet best Shishou?_

**Probably in America, where she shows up. Unless she doesn't.**

_Giuseppe said:_

_well, the spear of light is an imitation of gugnir used by the valkiries in fate go, is a b rank noble phantasm. I put Gungnir at least A rank anti-army and A Anti-unit, it's the first sure-hit aimbot spear in history_

**Yeah, EMIYA's is fake as shit though. He can't replicate divine constructs properly. Incidentally, that's why he didn't use enkidu - his degraded copy wouldn't block command spells like the real thing does.**

_Nexxoz Highdraco said:_

_Good fic. Here I have a somewhat important question with some of the comments regarding death. As you know Subaru has died many times we could say that he already has a very close concept of what it means to die and my question is? He will have something like mystical eyes perception of death._

**Those require magic circuits in the eyes, so probably not. **

**He does have the ability to tell when his life is in danger, though.**

_Guest said:_

_Wait author how strong are blessings?_

**If you mean the Divine Protections from Re:Zero, they're all over the place. There are some serious HAX ones, like Reinhard having the ability to wish for additional divine protections, and consequentially having stuff like "the ability to come back from death one time" or "the ability to automatically dodge every attack he can see". And then there are some garbage ones, like the one Reinhard acquired at some point that makes it so that he'll never confuse sugar with salt (yes, really).**

**In short, most of them are on par with Servant's personal skills.**


	23. Chapter 23

**23: Demon God Flauros**

* * *

Troublesome. That's the word that sums this whole mess up. From the very start, my role in our king's plan has been nothing but troublesome. It wasn't as if I _desired _to walk among the humans, to be the one responsible for overseeing Humanity's incineration in 2016. And it wasn't as though there was no one else capable - certainly, Kimaris was too soft, and Amdusias too much of a slacker - but any of the other Information Center pillars could have done the job.

But in the end, my chance of failure was analyzed to be 0.0046 percent - around 0.0023 percent lower than the runner-up - and so I was given the role. And three thousand years later, when I assumed control of "Lev Lainur Flauros", the vessel prepared for me - the exact instant that I possessed him, is when things began to get messy.

It couldn't be called a _problem_. Not really. It was too minor to qualify as one. Just a tiny little slip-up, that's all. And it was an understandable error - we, the seventy-two Demon Gods, overestimated humanity. That was all. And so, when I arose within Lev, I was shocked to learn something completely absurd.

Lev Lainur had been born with a split personality. We had accounted for and eliminated the possibility of him developing one over the course of his life, but we had _not _prepared for the possibility of him being born with one. Indeed, we had _thoroughly _overestimated the stability of the human mind.

The purpose of the Lainur family was to produce an heir for the year 2015, whose personality was so similar to Demon God Flauros as to be indistinguishable. But, as expected of _humans_, they botched it. Of the three men sharing this body, only _one _was a proper mapping of me.

It didn't matter much, of course. In the end, even a crude simulacrum of my existence was more than capable of manipulating and moderating the other two long enough to reach the day that I properly awakened within him. Indeed, considering the circumstances, "Mr. Flauros" behaved admirably. Even if he was just a human imitation of someone greater than himself, I still feel some amount of respect for the man.

...Well, that sounds a bit narcissistic considering the circumstances, so I'll avoid mentioning it to the others. In any case, the fact remains that I was understandably a bit troubled when I properly awoke in 2015. The curiosity of "Lev Uvall" had involved me with the troublesome organization Chaldea, and the efforts of "Lainur Gusion" had given them some troublesome technology. The Near-Future Observation Lense, SHEBA, allowed Chaldea to foresee the incineration, and possibly even resolve the singularities.

Admittedly, the possibility was a small one, but since the salvation of humanity was on the line, I couldn't afford to take chances. And so, I planted bombs in the command room, and waited for July 30th, 2015.

And then, that day, the final troublesome element arrived.

Natsuki Subaru. Master candidate forty-eight. I had dismissed him, at first. Certainly, there was that miasma about him, a faint aura of stars and darkness - but I saw it as a non-issue. After all, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", or so they say; if the Seventh wished to observe our plan using some human as a proxy, it was no worry of mine. I had other things to worry about, such as that Saber's bizarre insistence on sustaining this singularity.

But, that was perhaps my largest blunder up to this point. Natsuki Subaru has been, without a doubt, the biggest hindrance thus far. His telekinesis saving so much of the command room staff at Chaldea means that I'll have to return there after this and finish the job. I'm not worried about that fool Olga - with her hysterical tendencies, she'd be rendered useless by my betrayal even after surviving. But there are five or six staff members who know enough to fill the role of director, and I can't have them taking over. It would be _so _much simpler if they'd just died when they were supposed to.

And, of course, Natsuki's intolerable conduct didn't stop there. Inconceivably, he managed to stumble his way through Fuyuki, summoned _Mordred Pendragon_ of all people, defeated Artoria, called me out by name, and even nullified the curse of Angra Mainyu.

"I suppose this is my fault, though." I sigh, adjusting the brim of my hat to shield my eyes from the flames engulfing Mash Kyrielight's wall a bit better. Idly, I catch the Grail as it sails into my grasp. "Agent of the Seventh or not, I was a fool to adhere to human proverbs. The enemy of my enemy, is the enemy of my enemy, and nothing more."

"Dam-ghk!" Natsuki attempts to yell, interrupted by a mixture of blood and tar spewing from his mouth. "D-dammit! Mordred, the grail!"

"Right!" The servant yells back, before rocketing towards me with a mana burst. What a buffoon. If she'd engaged me in melee without waiting so long for him to give the order, I may not have been able to properly assert my control over the grail. But now…

"Ha! Hahahaha! You're too late, fool! I'll reintroduce myself - my name is Flauros! One of the Seventy-two Demon God Pillars, Demon God Flauros! Now, tremble, Chaldeans! Tremble in the face of our king's mercy!" I yell, flinging my arms wide. My flesh squirms, and the energy from the grail begins to transform this pathetic human shell-!

The grail slips from my hand. My transformation abruptly stops.

No, it didn't slip. From the start, it should have been absorbed into my body, so why-!?

I move to block an uppercut from the knight to treachery - but my arm twitches out of the way, and her fist meets my jaw head on. Of course, it's not so easy to knock out a Demon God, but-!

"You can't be serious! Now!? Now, of all times, this pathetic body tries to reject me!?" I hiss. It should be impossible. All three of the souls that this body once held were completely annihilated upon my awakening. And with me supplanting the soul, there should be no way for the body to rebel against me - the tiny amount of willpower it can manifest, shouldn't be enough!

"Senpai!" I hear Kyrielight yell as I scramble to my feet and start using my flames to get room between Mordred and myself. Again, I pull the grail to my hand, but as I do so, I happen to glance at Natsuki with my clairvoyance. His Mystic Code activates, patching his wounds, but before he does that, I catch sight of a broken and bruised jaw. Wait, did he-!?

Mentally, I search through my body, hunting through it bit by bit. Finally, I find it - something like a single thread of silk, spooling out from the center of my chest, and down to the core of Natsuki Subaru.

"Insects are prone to work in colonies, I suppose." I mutter with a scowl. "But, in the end, that only makes poisoning the nest far simpler!"

And with that said, I promptly send a part of myself down that invisible thread, and possess the foolish child.

* * *

Multitasking is simple enough for a superior life form such as myself. And so, even as my main body moves to reacquire the grail, I easily storm into the absolute depths of Natsuki Subaru's soul and crush him into the dirt.

A few faint silhouettes flicker at the edges of my sight as I do so, but none of the forms even attempts to approach me. If those pathetic shades were supposed to stop me...

"Is this it? You might even be easier to possess than Lev Lainur was! Fool, what did you even hope to accomplish!?" I ask, laughing as crimson eyes begin to open throughout the empty fields of his mental landscape. "Did you think that a few worms, working in tandem, could defeat a tiger? Are you an idiot?"

"No… it's... over, Flauros." He hisses defiantly, even as my foot crushes him into the writhing mass of tentacles that the ground has become. "Because… I re- ▬██▁▆█▆▀▬██▆!"

"...What?" I say, pausing. And then, suddenly, every eye, every squirming tendril of my body invading the landscape of his soul, freezes. Time itself, freezes. I can't move. I can't move.

"_I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you"_

_There's something behind me._

Black hands, darker than the night itself, erupt from the darkness behind me, tearing apart every tentacle or eye in sight with the greatest of ease.

Natsuki subaru squirms out from under my foot, and turns to face me.

"You introduced yourself, so it's only fair that I do the same." He says, dusting himself off. "I am… the Spirit Knight of Another World, Natsuki Subaru. And I'll be seeing you around, Flauros."

"_I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you"_

The dark limbs cover me, slowly dragging me away from him. My body burns. It's unbearable. I'm certain, I'm certain now, that this man is-!

"[VII… of the End]..." I say, eyes wide with panic. I can't move. I can't move. "Please, not like this… don't… I don't want to die!"

"Seven of what? No, you've got the wrong guy. Besides, I can't tell her who not to kill. It'd be a lot easier on me if I could." He says with a shrug. And then his eyes narrow. "Of course… even if I had the power to… there's no way in hell I'd spare a guy like you."

I scream. I can feel the shadows mocking me. And finally, one last form fills my sight, before I'm swallowed by nothingness.

A shadow. With burning purple eyes, and gleaming tendrils of silver light extending from its head.

It's not the Seventh. It's far worse. Far, far worse. An abomination that should never have been here. Something that shouldn't exist on any level.

_The Beast of another world._

* * *

I clutch my chest as I return to consciousness - I'm still me. Still Natsuki Subaru. It worked. Just like the time I got possessed by Petelgeuse, calling the witch kicked Flauros out of my body quite effectively. Up at the top of the grail, I see Lev collapse like a puppet with its strings cut. _That's _not the same as against the Archbishop of Sloth. And so, if he's not going back to Lev's body, then where-!?

The grail flares with golden light. Mash jumps in between it and me, and then a moment later, it explodes into a towering column of red flesh, covered in eyeballs with cross-shaped pupils.

"**Ah… ah…!"** A booming voice rings out from the pillar. "**Natsuki… Subaru…! You..!"**

Clouds of Smoke fill the air, and even the slight amount that touches me makes my skin start peeling away. But Mash is here, and the bulk of the deadly miasma doesn't touch me.

"Ah, he seems kinda mad, huh?" I say with a forced smile.

"**The intelligence bureau... comes to order. We expose the past... and collapse the future!"** He roars, and cracks on his body open up, more and more wildly rolling eyeballs emerging from it. The whole cavern, reaching far up into the sky, is surrounded by gleaming white rings of light.

"Oh crap! Mash, the shield!" I yell. "Mordred, get out of the cave if you can!"

"...That won't be necessary." Says a familiar voice. For an instant, he lands next to me - and then, Cu Chulainn leaps into the air, a spear awash in crimson gripped in his hand. And as he jumps, the spear starts to change shape, growing larger, and larger.

"[Gae…]"

"**[Incineration Ritual-**"

"[...Bolg]!"

The spear sprouts. Branches erupt from it, forming a mountainous latticework of red metal, all glowing with the same red fire. Hundreds of barbed crimson spearheads rip into the Demon God, and the whole mess explodes in an inferno of blood and magic.

When the flames and dust clear, all that's left is a loosely intact pile of flesh, flayed apart like the stuff you'd use making takoyaki.

"**Ah… my king… where are you..? I cannot… find the temple…**" The meat pile murmurs. "**My king… my king… why have you forsaken me?**"

And then, he dissolves into a small mountain of dark purple dust. The grail, materializing once again, plops down into it, raising a small cloud of dust.

"Heh. Seems like I made it just in the nick of time, huh?" Caster says as he lands in front of the Demon's remains.

He looks like hell. Other injuries aside, his right arm is completely limp, and flapping around like a wind sock.

"I could have taken him." Mordred says, hopping down from atop the stone cup to join us. She's carrying Lev on her shoulder - the guy's still breathing, too, so that's good.

"Yeah, yeah." Cu says with a grin. "That's why you were-"

"Lev!" Olga Marie suddenly yells, cutting Caster off. "Lev, you're alive! And, with the demon dead, does that mean-?"

"...No Demon. Demon's gone." Lev says in a raspy voice.

"Oh thank god… Lev-!" She says, smiling brightly through her tears - and then she sniffs , and straightens up. "I-I mean! Good! Then, I'll definitely scold you for this when you get back, you understand?" Faintly, I can hear laughter echoing from the command room.

"I...Understand..." The man rasps.

Mash smiles brightly, and Cu gives a small smile of his own, giving Lev a small pat on the back. "All's well that ends well, I guess." Says the Caster.

I heave a sigh of relief. The _tension _from before is finally starting to subside. "Yeah. I'm glad it all worked out alright. I am concerned, though… Caster, where's Hanam? He said he'd head over with you. Did you outpace him?"

Cu's eyes widen, and then something like realisation dawns on his face, and he sighs. "...Kid. What do you think happens to the remaining servants, when the grail is claimed?"

Slowly, a hole starts to open up in my stomach. "...No way. You're still here, right? And Mordred too! So-!"

He raises his limp arm, and a red light flashes from it. "I've been using my previous master's command spells to keep myself around. All out now, though, so I'll probably be heading along anytime now myself." He shakes his head. "As for your servant, she's connected to that Chaldea place, right? So it's only natural she'd stick around, since she's got a different power source."

"Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit!" I yell, gritting my teeth. "So that's it? There's nothing to be done!? If he was going to die anyway, then why-?"

"Nah, he probably just returned to the throne." Caster says with a grin. "Sure, he was holding off Lancer when we parted ways, but he probably stalled her long enough that both just disappeared."

"Disappearing, dying, is there a difference!?" I yell. "He's still gone!" Should I kill myself? Even if I do, is there anything I can do about him disappearing? Goddamit!

"Sure there's a difference. It hurts a whole lot less, you know?" He shoots back with a wink. "Anyway, I've got about five minutes left, so-!"

I cringe. I don't have time to kill myself. If I screw it up, Caster will disappear too. So… "Director. Bring us home. And hurry."

"Huh?" Caster glances at me. "The hell are you...?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I say with a smile. "I'm bringing you back with us. I've got no intention of letting two friends disappear here, you know."

"Hey, I'm still a Caster, you know! I stole this spear from Archer, it's gonna disappear soon! So just let me disappear and summon me as a Lancer, dammit!" Cu Chulainn yells, waving his arms.

"...Beginning unsummon sequence!" Olga says. "You all better make it here safely! I'm gonna be pissed of one of you gets lost on the way back!"

Slowly, golden particles rise from the ground. "See you guys in a bit!" I call out to everyone, as the world dissolves into a tunnel of blue light.

* * *

-And then, suddenly, everything goes black.

There's a noise. A grinding of metal against metal, in an almost rhythmic fashion.

I stumble and fall over for a bit, and cool sand fills my fingers. Faintly, yellow-orange light shines down from behind me, and I turn around.

A corpse, riddled with blades, sliding in and out of its chest. Like the beat of a heart. Slowly, with more grinding of steel against steel, the swords embedded in his legs and arms drag him to his feet.

A broken husk of a man, with yellow eyes, and molten metal flowing from his wounds - the only source of light in this empty desert filled with swords.

"You… aren't going anywhere… Apostle of the Alien God..." rasps Archer. And slowly, lit by the dim glow of liquid gold pouring down from the sky, monstrous gears begin turning.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Redman pulled this same fake death shit in UBW, so here we go again lol.**

**My ambitious goal is to finish the last chapter of arc 1 by Wednesday, in time for the first episode of Re:Zero season 2.**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

_orion399 said:_

_So, can Subaru completely resist most curses? Given that he ate Angra Mainyu's curse which happens to be very potent. Potent enough to slowly and painfully killed Kiritsugu and corrupt powerful heroic spirits like Arturia._

**Well, in this case it's the difference between getting cursed and eating the curse. Think of it like a snake's venom - getting it injected into you by the usual means will kill you for sure, but it's nowhere near as dangerous when ingested. (That being said, I wouldn't recommend drinking snake venom. It won't be as effective as if it were injected, but it does still cause some negative side effects.)**

_Also, are there any positive or negative side effects to eating those curses? Or is that just a thing he can do without consequence?_

**Well, he pretty much puked them out immediately after digesting them, so other than nausea and a penalty for using Gluttony, there aren't any side-effects.**

_Mizen said:_

_Nice chapter as always. How would Subaru behave in a event like GUDAGUDA?_

**Subaru: *Confused internal screaming***

_nanox876 said:_

_Isn't Rho Aias how Archer blocks Gae Bolg in the Moon Cell Holy Grail War of Fate/Extra?_

**No clue. Haven't played Extra. If he blocks the anti-unit, melee version of Gae Bolg, then that's news to me.**

_Fate said:_

_Alcides even though greater than berserker her would likely lose againt him because of his concepts, that's basically what Xorn is saying._

**No, that's definitely not what I meant to say lol. Alcides (Heracles Alter) would probably be able to beat Herczerker, because he's got the ability to plan ahead, and his Nine Lives isn't suppressed like Herczerker's.**

_greedysubaru said:_

_you havent had subaru use the other abilities of the authority of greeds Stillness of an Object's Time (物体の時間の静止 Buttai no Jikan no Seishi) ability which enables_

_The user can stop the time of themselves or anything they're wearing, touched, or even their breath. This stops any interference from outside and only allows the user's interference outwards. This negates any attack against the user, and if the user waves their hand, anything in its trajectory is cut no matter the toughness. Atmosphere released from the stillness can cause shockwaves, gravel thrown around can become inevitable shots, and it can enable the user to travel at extremely high speeds. Normally, multiple uses of this ability can be deadly as the user's own heart also stops, however it can be circumvented when combined with another of the Authority of Greed's abilities._

_Small King (小さな王 Chīsana Ō)_

_The user merges their heart with one of the people of his kingdom or in other words any woman that the user has confirmed to be their wife. With this, the user can use the effects of Stillness of an Object's Time as long as they wish to. As it is only a pseudo heart, even if the merge is destroyed the only aftereffect is that the user bears the burden again. Any conditions or effect area haven't been shown._

_cor leonis is the reverse positive form of small king couldnt subaru use the authority of greed like regulus could ( and wouldnt giving stillness of time to servants he could make it as long as he wished to by merging their hearts so it wouldn't kill him or using small king like regulus did with his wives on his servants or mash or roman_

**Subaru can't use Regulus's Authorities. The witch factors appear to change function when they change holders. For example, Petelgeuse's unseen hand can't phase through things, while Subaru's can. Minerva's Wrath is superpowered healing, whereas Sirius's is sympathetic feelings and damage.**

_reinhardreid said:_

_the writer of re zero had stated that reinhard was stronger than reid_

**Then consider me corrected. Though if both were summoned as servants, that relationship might invert - Reid has more mystery, and could be construed as Reinhard's prototype, so he'd be a match for Reinhard if he became a servant. **

**But yeah, bump Reinhard up on that tierlist a few chapter's back. He's on Artoria's level, at least.**


	24. Chapter 24

**24: Lingering Embers, Lingering Ashes, Lingering Warmth.**

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait! You've totally got the wrong guy!" I yell, waving my arms back and forth. "I've got no clue what you're even talking about!"

"I… doubt that." Wheezes Archer. "That scent about you… you're just like one of Sessyoin's cultists. So… die."

There's a sound of sand shifting, and hundreds, thousands of swords rise into the air. Desperately, I pull at the second reservoir of magic stored within my Mystic Code - the first is still refilling, from the healing I had to do earlier. In the previous loop, the Director mentioned that his swords were projection magecraft, so…!

"It's a rush job, but- [Incomplete EMT]!" I yell, a circular screen of light appearing centered on my outstretched hands.

EMT, Emilia-tan Maji Tenshi. 'Emilia-tan is seriously an angel', for any foreigners out there. The absolute invalidation magic that Beatrice and I created together, a spherical field with a diameter of about ten meters, which no other magic can exist within. Of course, without her help, the most I can do is make a four meter disc to use as a shield.

But it's enough. I'm able to safely brace myself and huddle behind it long enough to weather Archer's opening salvo.

"Seriously!? It's not like I chose to smell this way, you know!? The Witch of Envy decided all on her own that she was in love with me, and shoved a bunch of troubling effects onto me!" I yell over the crashing storm of swords. "And I'm not one of her lackeys or anything! I've got nothing but loathing for those damn archbishops!"

"As if… I care. Even if you're just some innocent… caught in the web of a Beast. I'll kill you. To secure humanity's future… no price is too great!" The man yells, slowly stumbling forwards down the hill of swords. His eyes burn, shining the color of molten gold. "I _chose _not to break free of Saber's control. For a full month, I hid within my unaltered self… just to get the chance to put a bullet between that Demon God's eyes. Every man, woman, and child in Fuyuki… was sacrificed to meet that goal."

...Bastard. Absolute scum. This guy is, without a doubt, no good.

"And where did that get you!?" I yell. "_We _killed Flauros! You didn't do a thing! Useless bastard, you let thousands die, and for what-!?"

"I'll thank you... for doing the dirty work. But… why do you think, my unaltered self was stupid enough… to let Cu Chulainn get his lance? Why… do you think… Saber wasn't warned that Mordred was coming, equipped… with Avalon!?" He shouts back, flecks of fiery metal spewing from his lips, even as his skin cracks even further, pouring molten gold over the sand.

More and more weapons made of magic crash down upon my barrier - holy swords, demonic swords, spears, axes, even a shield or two. I can feel my arms shaking as my muscles start to tear, and my bones begin to splinter. Ugh… and once he gets to me, he'll probably put a fist through me and that'll be that. After all, EMT only blocks magic, not physical attacks. I guess there's no choice, then-!

"Dumbass! We didn't need your help! We could have done it without you running interference! Hell, if you had allied with Caster, then you probably could have held Saber off and saved thousands of lives! We didn't need to sacrifice anyone- because, I can-!" I cut myself off. That's bad. That's no good. The creeping shadow behind me… I'm certain, with how many times I've called her up recently… I won't get away with it this time. I can't weaponize the taboo.

"Believe what you want… but... it's over." He says as the storm of swords parts for him - and suddenly, he shoots forward, sword raised. I see the swords embedded in his body flay his entire lower half to pieces as he jumps at me, his yin-yang swords gripped in both hands. "I am… the bone of my sword…"

I might be able to block the swords, but one punch from a servant will kill me. So, with that in mind, I change tactics. EMT is dropped, and I tap my final reservoir of mana, flinging out my hands as crystal stakes covered in purple flame manifest. "[Minya]!"

The spikes bite into Archer's flesh, before exploding into smaller spikes that tear him to shreds, spraying flesh and metal everywhere. But, just before his arm is torn apart-

Blam!

A _gunshot_ rings out, a spurt of flame erupting from the sword - no, the _gun_ in his right hand. The bullet goes wide, biting into my shoulder as I scream.

Archer collapses into a pile of swords and meat, still faintly twitching. The swords drop out of the air, the giant gears cease turning, and slowly the cracks in the sky begin to dim.

"_So, as I pray…"_

There's a meaty sound of blade meeting flesh. A searing pain in my shoulder. A sword... has erupted from the bullet hole.

"...What?" I mutter, as fire bubbles deep within me. It's so hot. Like a forge, hammering away, within my soul. An [Unlimited █████ Works] of my very own.

"_[Unlimited Lost Works]."_

A dagger emerges from my left thigh. A spear from my eye. An axe from my intestines. And a sword, and another sword, and another sword, and-!

"That... should deal with you." Archer's voice rings out as his body turns to purple dust. "But… just in case you've got some stupid after-death trick… I'll trap you here. The singularity has already disappeared. Nothing exists outside this space. And so, agent of the Seventh… fall and disappear into the Sea of Imaginary Numbers."

And then, the world breaks apart, and deep blue nothingness fills my vision.

* * *

I feel a faint, familiar sensation. Like I'm being pulled. And then, all at once, as the ground-up meat of my body impacts a cool metal surface, the pain hits. I can't scream. Can't cry. My throat and eyes were destroyed. But somehow, my ears are still a bit intact. Through the deafening ringing in my ears, I can faintly hear voices.

"Aaahhh! Subaru! No, not again! -can't lose you again! So, don't die -! Please, don't you dare die!" someone yells. A girl. It's someone I should know. I know this person. But my mind, is too overwhelmed by the searing agony engulfing my form.

I rasp and gurgle, in my best approximation of a scream, as my consciousness slowly fades.

"Suba... -will definitely save you! So, don't give up, in... -! Look... -is fixing your wounds, so… don't die! Plea…-die!" Yells someone. "-ena, hurry up and help... -!"

My lungs stop hurting, just a bit. The pain in my temples dies down - and the pain in my limbs returns as they're reattached.

"...Your... -is a lucky guy…" another woman's voice says. "Seriously... -void space, these wounds would be untreatable, you know?"

"Just shut up and give -!" Snaps the first girl.

"Sure, sure~. You're totally different... -you know? Hm, you called him your... -but is there something... -between you two?" the second says. I can't see her eyebrows, but I can certainly hear them waggling.

"Of... -loves Subaru more than anything in the world…" The first says. Faintly, I can feel a warmth in my left palm. A familiar-feeling hand, clutching me with a death grip - and then, slowly, its fingers pass through my hand.

"No, no, no! Not again! Please, Subaru! Don't… -alone again!"

And then, the world dissolves into a tunnel of blue light.

* * *

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I open my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. My left hand… there's still a faint sense of warmth, lingering there. And tears flowing from my eyes. With a confused frown, I wipe them away.

"Oh hey. Looks like you're finally awake, huh?" Asks Caster, giving me a wry grin. I open my mouth to respond, but he cuts me off. "Hey, don't shout or anything, okay? Your vocal cords still need some time to heal, or you might lose the ability to speak altogether. You were in one hell of a state when we pulled you in. Whatever the hell yanked you out of the rayshift, it messed you up something awful."

"Archer showed up." I sigh, giving him a disappointed look.

"Wait, _Archer!?_ You serious!? I'm sure I got the bastard's heart!" He protests.

"I think he replaced his heart with swords or something ridiculous like that." I reply with a shrug.

"...Of course he did. Bastard." Cu spits. "Anyway, it's a miracle you weren't killed. Pretty much every inch of your body was cut to pieces, but all your vital organs and appendages were somehow still intact."

I shrug again. "I think I remember something… someone showed up, and healed me, before the rayshift took effect. Two people, I think. But I can't remember much of it. I was a bit too overwhelmed by pain at the time. Come to think of it, something similar happened when I first arrived in Fuyuki..."

"Time doesn't exist in Void Space, so even lethal wounds aren't that hard to heal there… though you'd need a way to keep your existence stable while doing it." Says a fluffy-looking orange-haired man as he pushes some curtains aside and approaches my bedside. "How do you feel, Subaru-kun?"

"...Less dead than expected." I reply with a wry smile. "I'm pretty sure I was turned into hamburger meat for a bit there."

"That's seriously not something to joke about…" says Romani with a nervous laugh. "Seriously, we would have had to replace or remove around half of your non-vital organs if not for Caster's runecraft, so be sure to thank him! Anyway, you just stay there and get some rest, okay? I'll go let everyone know you're awake."

He leaves the same way he came in, and a few minutes later, my bedside is joined by a relaxed-looking Mordred Pendragon and a slightly smiling Mash Kyrielight.

This whole mess was a massive pain in the ass. Despite not killing me once in the Fuyuki, [Apocalypse Conflagration] definitely let Flauros take the top of the leaderboard in the many deaths of Natsuki Subaru. But, with the singularity resolved, and a way home guaranteed by Zelretch to show up two and a half years from now, I think... things are finally starting to look up!

…

"What do you mean there are seven more singularities!?"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Lol Subaru thought he could catch a break.**

**Surprise bonus update! Rejoice, for fuyuki is complete!**

**Next chapter Friday.**

* * *

**Review responses:**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_Independent Action is bullshit, and Archer's is only B rank. Imagine the servants that have it at EX rank. Well, EX rank of anything is complete and utter bullshit but imagine Independent Action._

**Well, to be fair, EX just means it 'can't be measured', so it's possible that it could just be real heckin weird. Maxwell's demon, for example, might have EX independent action when he turns himself into an archer.**

_Also, will there be a Singularity that takes place in Lungnica?_

**Not certain yet, but probably.**

_darthwolf said:_

_Wait wait wait! Subaru is an Apostle of the Alien God?! How?!_

**He's not. Archer just misidentified him, because Satella checks so many of the same boxes.**

_Fate said:_

_I thought Herakles concepts of twelve labors would overuse alcides._

**True, that's also possible. I'd say their fight could probably go either way.**

_Guest said:_

_So Reid, and shaula or Flugel would have similar level via mystery, what about the dragon spirit or puck?_

**Volcanica for sure. Puck is considerably younger, so he probably would only get about as much of a mystery bonus as Reinhard (though obviously wouldn't be NEAR his level). He's only been famous as the great spirit of fire for a few years (though his time of birth might have been as early as 500 years ago).**


	25. Ex1

**Ex1: Starting life in [this] world from zero**

* * *

It was right when everything seemed like it had been resolved. The black squirming feeling of Gluttony's Authority settled in my soul, signifying their total defeat. The witchbeasts surrounding the tower had been slain or driven off, with the exception of one or two that Meili had requested to keep as assistants for our return trip. Shaula had been completely pacified, and was sleeping off her 'killing machine' form - meaning that Emilia had defeated the final trial, just as I had hoped.

"...But man, it was really touch-and-go for a little while there." I said with a small chuckle as we dismounted our respective witchbeasts.

"Geez, Onii-san is rea~lly good at understating things, huh~?" said Meili Portroute, the girl responsible for controlling said monsters. "If it wasn't for all of my hard work, Scorpion-Onee-san was seriously going to kill us, you kno~w?"

"Yes, yes, you did an excellent job." I said, tussling her hair - and then, noting the little blonde girl still sitting on my mount beginning to pout, I plucked her from her seat and twirled around with her in my arms. "Beako, too of course! Without my beloved, cute, wonderful, cute, beautiful, cute, genius partner, we would have been in big trouble! "

"B-betty will forgive Subaru for not praising her first, I suppose…" The spirit said with a small smile - and then her eyes widened, and she started squeezing my cheeks. "Wait, Subaru said cute three times, in fact! A-are you sure that your memories are all okay, or are you forgetting things again!?"

"No, I'm fine, I just said it three times because you're cute, cute, cuuuute!" I replied, squeezing her tighter and patting her head.

"S-subaru is correct, I suppose!" she replied, preening in response to my affection even as the tips of her ears went red from embarrassment.

And then, a voice rang out.

It was a beautiful voice, melodic, drifting on the air like music. It penetrated my eardrums, and made my heart feel calm. But the words themselves were like poison. Twisting up my insides in a fit of half a dozen emotions that I couldn't find words to describe.

"My, to be celebrating so earnestly - even though your efforts have caused three children to lose their lives today."

"...What?" I asked, my face slowly turning to take in her appearance.

She was beautiful. There could be no argument about that. Silver hair and eyes like sapphires, with a peaceful-looking smile on her face. An ethereal beauty, completely out-of-place among the blood-spattered Augria Sand Dunes. Despite the wind kicking up sand everywhere, not a speck went near her. Not so much as a grain of dust dared to obscure her face.

"I merely wished to comment on your interesting perspective, that is all." She said, face still gently smiling. "You and your companions killed three children today, Sage candidate. Three orphans, with nothing to live for, and no-one to help them, except for each other. And you butchered them without mercy. And now, you gleefully celebrate it. I wonder, what would your mother and father say, if they saw you now?"

Her smile remained. Her voice was serene. As she drove dagger after dagger into my heart, she did not for a single instant raise her voice.

...That's enough of that.

"...Just who the hell are you talking about?" I replied with a snarl. "If you know anything about those three, you'd know that they're anything but innocent children. Hell, with how many lives they experienced, I'm not sure they even qualified as human anymore. There's no way those three could have been rehabilitated, so…!"

"Subaru, it's fine, I suppose. From the start, this woman didn't come here to have an honest conversation, in fact." Beatrice said, cutting me off. "Besides, whatever children once existed within the Gluttony Archbishops, have long since been overwritten by their authorities - they were little more than sentient stomachs at this point, I suppose."

"Well then. That is certainly one way to look at things!" The woman let out a musical laugh. "Of course, the fact remains-"

"[El Shamak], I suppose!"yelled Beatrice, and suddenly the woman was caught in a cloud of black smoke. "Subaru, Meili, we need to retreat. Immediately, in fact! This woman is-!"

"Pandora, Witch of [Vainglory]." Said a voice behind us.

A Witch. A Witch, in the current era. Such a thing should have been impossible. The only living Witch, was the Witch of Envy, sealed just beyond the Watchtower - and yet!

"When did she get behind us~!?" Yelled Meili.

"I was always behind you." Pandora said smoothly. "Perhaps, your eyes deceived you?"

What the hell. What the hell was this? An authority for illusions?

"Still, it seems as though you are intent on causing me no end of trouble, Sage Candidate." Pandora said with a sigh. "Even after all the effort I took to create that Archbishop of Sloth, after my efforts in bending Regulus to my will, after all the time I spent subverting little Louis Arneb… you truly went and snuffed each of those beautiful lights out. And even worse, you still have yet to become anything particularly interesting yourself. Perhaps, it would be best if…"

Beatrice's body tensed up. I could feel her teeth grinding as she closed her eyes tightly. "...Subaru. Betty loves you, I suppose."

"Wha-?" My eyes widened. Those words, right now, sounded just like-! "Beako, don't-!"

"[Greater Door Crossing], in fact!" Yells the Spirit, and the world _stretches_.

"..._you never came to this world in the first place._" Concludes Pandora.

And suddenly, I found myself standing at the curbside outside a convenience store.

Naturally, I didn't waste a second in crushing my own brain with [Invisible Providence].

* * *

I found myself standing at the curbside outside a convenience store.

...Did I just imagine that I killed myself? Regardless, I proceeded to smash my own heart with [Invisible Providence].

I was standing outside the convenience store.

"No…"

I jumped in front of a car.

I was standing outside the convenience store.

"No, no, no…!"

I jumped off a building. I jumped in front of a train. I slashed my own throat.

I was standing outside the convenience store. I was standing outside the convenience store. I was standing outside the convenience store.

"No, no, no, no!"

And so, just like that, Natsuki Subaru broke.

* * *

"It seems like a severe psychotic break. We're still awaiting neural imaging, but…"

"...Will he… ever…?"

"All we can do is hope, I'm afraid."

…

"It seems like a severe psychotic break. We're still awaiting neural imaging, but…"

"...Will he… ever…?"

"All we can do is hope, I'm afraid."

…

"It seems like a severe psychotic break. We're still awaiting neural imaging, but…"

"...Will he… ever…?"

"All we can do is hope, I'm afraid."

…

"It seems like a severe psychotic break. We're still awaiting neural imaging, but…"

...How many times, have they said those same things?

My eye twitched.

"...Will he…-"

"Oh my god, shut up! No! No, he's not ever getting better!" I yelled - and then, mom buried her face in my chest, crying.

...

"He got better!?" I yelled after a few seconds.

* * *

"Mom, Dad… Sorry for worrying you." I eventually said, as we entered the house again.

"...Subaru. You don't have to apologize. For now, let's just… let's just focus on recovery." Dad said.

Incidentally, I had been in a catatonic state for about three days. Although, considering I had heard that same conversation several times… it seems like I died a few times. The question, of course, is how?

...My defective gate. It must be. Beatrice-

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

...Beatrice told me, that if she didn't drain me of mana regularly, I would explode. So in other words, enough time went by and I exploded. Sasuga Shamak-san. You saved me, even now (lol).

Anyway, my parents' expectations of me going to school went out the window. Rather, even if I insisted, I wouldn't be allowed to go to school. Which meant…

"I'll have to teach myself, huh?" I mumbled. And with that, I entered my room.

…Right, I forgot.

There were posters of silver-haired girls from anime, light novels, and videogames covering my walls.

"Those are gonna have to go." I mumbled. But for now, I wanted to get started. I need to find a way back. I must find a way back. That's non-negotiable. So, I sat down on my computer, and began my self-education.

"Multiverse theory, parallel universes, and dimensional sliding… if magic isn't an option on Earth, I'll just use _science!" _I muttered, frantically typing away.

Of course, twelve deaths later, I finally discover that Magic _was_ indeed a thing on Earth, but that's a story for another time.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Pandora is just the _worst_.**

* * *

**Arc 1 Retrospective/Q&A**

And with that, arc 1 is concluded. There's a few chapters of slice-of-life stuff before Orleans starts, but before I get to that, I want to take a moment to talk about the story so far.

When I started writing "Save Scumming" (god I wish I chose a different name lol) back in February, it was on a whim. I had no clue it was going to end up as my longest continuous work of fiction to date. In fact, I was almost certain that it was going to go for one or two chapters and then die. The google document that I use to actually write the story is literally titled "Mistake", because that's what I thought this story was at the time.

I had been wanting to write an FGO fic for a while. However, the idea that I almost went with was a completely different crossover, where Kasen Ibara (the Touhou Project equivalent of Ibaraki Douji) ends up having to work with Chaldea to save the world, and in the process confronts her chuuni past. And then, when I was around 400 words into the first chapter of that, my muse suddenly said "okay but what if Natsuki Subaru".

And then this happened. And just… kept happening. For chapter after chapter. At some point after starting the fic I got around to actually reading the webnovel (I made the weird decision to use post arc 6 subaru despite only knowing the contents of arcs 4 5 and 6 from the wiki synopsis).

And then I promptly fell in love with Re: Zero. I honestly think that series might rival my love for the Type-Moon franchise at this point, which is no small feat. It's fucking amazing, go read it if you haven't already.

Anyways, I don't know the meaning of "quit while you're ahead", so I'm gonna keep writing this story, and we'll see just where it ends up going.

**About Fuyuki: that which nearly didn't happen.**

Mordred's presence in this fic very nearly didn't happen. Subaru's first servant was literally decided by a poll on the Spacebattles forums, and Mordred was only tacked onto said poll at the very last minute. I very nearly chose to just ignore the poll and give him Kintoki or Jason,because they'd be fun. But in the end, I followed through on it, and I'm glad I did. Mordred absolutely shined this arc, and I'm super happy about that. Also, since it was her instead of Gilles de Rais (Saber), who was also an option, I was able to give Artoria more room to shine.

Cursed Arm Alter, and by extension Hanam, almost didn't happen. He was just an ordinary shadow servant right up until the chapter I wrote from his PoV, wherein I decided, "nah let's do this." That is, incidentally, why he kinda feels like an extra for most of the arc… I didn't end up having much for him to do. Part of me wonders if the right thing to do was just to have him disappear with Shaytan. Course, I also good have included dragon tooth warriors in the fight with Saber, and if I were to go back and rewrite this arc, that would probably be one of the big changes in it.

The second half of Cu vs. Archer was also on the cutting room floor. I contemplated just ending the chapter on Cu getting his spear and then offscreening Archer. Archer's reappearance to gank Subaru was also nearly not included, and I'm still not 100% sure that it was the right thing to do. It does let me set up [Mysterious Healer] for later though, so that's nice.

Subaru eating Angra Mainyu also nearly didn't happen, and if it remains in its current state there's no purpose in including it other than to fill space in the chapter. This is because... I fucked up. I had meant to include a traumatic flashback of Subaru's return to earth among the things he saw while digesting Angra, but I somehow totally forgot. So when I do my final pass over the arc to do edits over the next few days, that'll probably be added in there - and I'll be sure to leave a list of the edits before Orleans begins.

**About Fuyuki: that which was not to be.**

As always, some things were cut, or left out because I needed to practice self-restraint.

The fic almost opened with a recounting of Subaru's miserable return to earth and all the ways he died before reaching Chaldea - "but that's too depressing", I said to myself, and it was relegated to an offscreen event.

Subaru nearly reset to the day of his return to earth, instead of the day of his arrival at Chaldea, after which he would have worked his way onto the A-team and eventually gotten himself murdered by Beryl - "but I don't know enough about Beryl or Daybit's abilities, and I don't want to throw out the possibility of Lostbelt stuff by saving the A-team", I said to myself, and so that plot thread was cut.

Olga was nearly not saved - after which she would have turned up in fuyuki, with Subaru in the end being forced to use Gluttony to "eat" her memories and transfer her to a puppet body - "but there's no reason why Subaru's authority ought to be the same as the previous holder's and every reason why it shouldn't." I said to myself. Again, Angra was a special case, since his memories and name had already been more or less ground up by the Grail. Alternatively, he could have used Cor Leonis to share some of his "existence" with her - "but that would be way too weird", I said to myself, so I just had her not get exploded.

Subaru almost found Kaleidostick Ruby in the Tohsaka residence - "but that would be stupid", I said to myself, and it was relegated to an Omake that will be released some time in the next week or so.

The first time Subaru died to Artoria, Mordred Alter nearly popped out of the mud - "but that's just gratuitous at this point", I said to myself, so I didn't do that.

There was nearly a subplot where after dying to Salter Subaru whined about not having enough command spells, and Cu was like "lol I know where we can get some" and they went on a quest to loot Kotomine's body, only to find out he was still alive somehow, and get forced into yet another stupid conflict - "but everyone's gotta be sick of Fuyuki at this point", I said to myself, so I didn't do that.

...

...Well, that's about all of the weird extra stuff that got , here's a section where I compile the most important (or entertaining) questions I've received on every platform up to this point.

**Q&A**

_Will [X] remember Subaru's failed timelines?_

No. Only Natsuki Subaru remembers his failed timelines. Well, there's two or three others who due to some unique circumstances remember a few timelines from Lugnica, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

_Can [X] beat Reinhard?_

Unless Reinhard is jobbing, you'd need to be on at least the level of Heracles to stand a chance against him.

_Can [Re: Zero Character] be summoned as a servant?_

When Subaru returned to Earth, he was recorded in the Throne as a Foreigner. As he was recorded, any records of other souls in within his soul, were also added to the Throne of Heroes. This includes:

All the prior holders of Sloth, though Sekhmet will not allow herself to be summoned if she can help it.

All the prior holders of Greed.

All the prior holders of Gluttony, though Roy Alphard has lost his existence, and Louis Arneb won't allow herself to be summoned if she can help it.

Anyone eaten by Gluttony, though things get weird for anyone who only had their 'name' or 'memories' eaten and not both.

And anyone whose book Subaru read in Taygeta.

Also, potentially the prior holders of Pride, if the "Subaru is Pride" theory pans out.

_Will [Servant] be summoned by Subaru?_

I have no frickin clue, I've not planned ahead enough to know every servant he'll summon.

_Is Satella a Beast?_

...Yes and no. She's the local equivalent of a Beast in Lugnica, but the exact details, ramifications, and implications of her role are not identical.

_Will Events (i.e. GudaGuda and Kara no Kyoukai) happen in-story?_

KnK yes, GudaGuda probably not. I'll probably stick to the less nonsensical events. Vengeful Demon's Wail in particular is one I've got high hopes for. *Villainous laughter*.

_What was the deal with EMIYA Alter?_

It was OG EMIYA right up until it wasn't. EMIYA got corrupted by the grail, and was slowly turning into his alter. But Edgemiya purposely didn't move to complete the transformation, instead opting to interfere with EMIYA's consciousness to lowkey sabotage Saber and keep Lev from noticing him until he got a chance to shoot him.

At some point during his fight with Cu, what remained of EMIYA got eroded away and his alter took control, hence his change in eye color and sudden propensity to bleed molten pyrite.

_Will this fic continue?_

Yes! Thank you to all of my readers for all your support thus far, and I hope to live up to your expectations going forward!

* * *

**Review Responses:**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_Theoreticaly speaking, if Barusu died in the void, when would he return to? You said that time doesn't exist is the void._

**Odds are about 50/50 of him just going back to prior save point and not coming back at all. Depends on if Satella can find him or not.**

_Guest said:_

_what do you think is Od Laguna in type moon terms._

**It's similar to the Root/Gaia/Alaya (which are all sorta the same thing but also not, it's weird). Of course, since it's a different world, the development of Od Laguna and its nature are quite different from any of those.**

**Reviews are bugged (again), so any reviews from times past July 9th are not showing up right now. Sorry to anyone who had a burning question that I can't read.**

**Any questions from _before _that time that weren't answered are things that I either already answered elsewhere or don't want to answer at the moment (either to give myself leeway or just to avoid spoiling).**


	26. Chapter 25

**25: Unfortunately, actions have consequences.**

* * *

"So, for various reasons, I'm actually the only person in good enough shape to give you any kind of debriefing, so bear with me, Subaru-kun." Says Romani with an easygoing smile. He's rolled a desk out in front of my hospital bed, and has a bunch of paperwork laid out in front of him.

"Right, I guess the Director's been returned to bed rest, huh?" I mutter.

The doctor lets a quick grimace slip, before returning to his smile. "More or less. I'll start by saying, you _are _allowed not to answer some questions, especially those pertaining to the magic you can use. Standard Clock Tower protocol means that a mage is allowed to protect their mysteries."

"Right, secrecy was kind of the name of the game back there, huh?" I say with a sigh. Escardos-san aside, basically everyone in the place was cagey as all hell.

"Pretty much. Anyways, to start with, you came to Chaldea because… like me, you had a premonition, right? Disaster was waiting in 2015." He begins.

"Hm… well, it's a bit more complicated than that, but-" I start, and then I clutch my chest in pain as an invisible hand grasps my heart. "Oi, are you… kidding right now?" I can't even say 'that's about right'?

Beeeeeeeeep. A long tone comes from the heart monitor.

"Wha- Subaru-kun, your heart-!" Romani says, jumping up - but he calms down a little as the beeping returns to normal. "What the hell-?"

"Right, sorry, I can't answer that question." I say with a strained smile.

"Some kind of geass or taboo, then…?" Romani sighs. "Jeez, if talking about stuff is gonna give you heart damage, then don't talk about it."

"...Well, I've never died from it before, so it's not _that _big of a problem. Just a bit of chest pain, I guess-" I start, but he cuts me off.

"No, that's the wrong perspective to have, Subaru-kun." Romani says with narrowed eyes. "It would be one thing if it just caused lung pain or something, but since your heart just stopped for a second there, I'm going to seriously recommend that you never do something like that again."

"I mean, I won't push it hard enough to stop my heart. I've figured out that much." I say with a shrug. "But a little pain isn't-"

"You're still not understanding! That dumb saying, 'pain is weakness leaving the body' - it may be true when building muscle, but the damage to heart is a completely different matter!" Romani yells.

"It'll heal, so isn't it-"

"It won't heal." Roman says coldly. "That's the problem, Subaru-kun. The human heart heals incredibly slowly. In fact, up until 2009, the medical community was almost certain that it wasn't capable of self-repair at all. The strain of aerobic exercise is one thing, but actual damage to the heart can take months to recover from, and even then it tends to leave behind scar tissue that increases the risk of heart failure."

"...Oh." I mutter. "Wait, wasn't my heart seriously damaged on the way back from Fuyuki, though!?"

"Well, in that case, it was healed with magic instead of naturally, so there shouldn't be much scarring if the healer was competent - and by all appearances, they definitely were." He shrugs. "With magecraft, recovery from heart failure isn't impossible - but if you're somewhere I can't get to you when it happens, you're toast. So, seriously, don't strain your heart. Just that brief stoppage just now may have shaved as much as a month off your total lifespan."

"Ugh… Well, in the first place it's not like I triggered the thing on purpose except as a last resort." I say, itching at my arm.

"What kind of last resort is stopping your own heart!?"

"Eh… well, there are some dubiously useful side-effects. But for the most part it's useless unless I'm already in an awful situation, and if it doesn't work the pain will cripple me for a few seconds, so it's not great." I say with a shrug. "Regardless, I'll try to take your advice and not mess with that too much."

"Seriously, you're as bad as all the others. Anyway, where were we..." Roman mutters, glancing through his paperwork. "Ah, right. Reasons for coming to Chaldea… unknown, can't answer due to a geas?"

I shrug.

"Right, moving on… you somehow became aware of bombs in the command room, and of Lev's possession by Demon God Flauros. Presumably also something you can't talk about?"

"Yep. Can't say a thing about it. Doctor's orders, you know?"

He heaves a sigh. "This is going to be a long interview, isn't it?"

* * *

"Alright, so, moving on - these so-called [Authorities] of yours… Well, I get that the term is from that 'other world' of yours, so you're just using words you're familiar with, but that specific term has a pretty big history on earth; namely it's used to refer to the powers held by gods and divine spirits. And yet, since you said that they don't cost any mana to use, they really do seem to be similar in spirit, if not in power level." Roman says, scratching his head.

"Hmm…well, it's not like my versions are anywhere near the power of their previous holders. Petelgeuse, the guy who had [Invisible Providence] before I did… He could pull out something like one hundred of his [Unseen Hand]s at a time, and they had way longer range than mine do. And _his _predecessor was apparently powerful enough to force the strongest dragon in that world to retreat." I say, stroking my chin.

"Oh, so it's a power that's passed down to later generations! Then, it might be similar to that [Vestige Project] that the Wandering Sea was messing around with…" He says.

"Then what I've acquired would be [Vestiges of Sin]... hey, isn't that actually pretty cool sounding?" I mumble. "And it would help clearly delineate me from the bastards I got them from, too!"

"Wait, go back, where's the 'of sin' coming from, exactly?" He asks, an eyebrow raised.

"Ah, right, I guess I didn't mention it. The [Authorities] of that other world, they each correspond to one of the Seven Deadly Sins, plus the old decanonized ones, Melancholy and Vainglory." I explain.

"Ah, so it's something like that…" He mutters. "Incidentally, which sins do your abilities correspond to?"

"[Invisible Providence] was picked up off of Sloth, and I got [Cor Leonis] when Greed died… I should have one more, since we finally cornered Gluttony just before I got sent back here, but I don't know what it does yet." I say.

"Wait, wait! This whole time, I thought these authorities were passed down through some kind of learning, that you got taught how to use them! What's this about killing!?" Roman yells.

"Eh!? No way! The sin archbishops… well, they were something of a mixture between serial killers and terrorists, basically. If it were up to me, I'd have nothing to do with any of them, but they kept coming after the woman I love, so we wound up killing a bunch of them." I say. "And then for some reason, I unexpectedly wound up acquiring their powers after the fact… Honestly, it's been kind of troubling!"

"So you just kill the villains and steal their powers!? What are you, Megaman!?"

"That's wrong!... Is what I want to say, but that's more or less how it's worked out so far." I say, cringing a bit.

The doctor sighs. "So, how much do they change when you acquire them? Do you think we can predict what your [Vestige of Gluttony] will become?"

I exhale a little. "...The previous Authority of Gluttony, was one that allowed its users to eat 'names' and 'memories'. If your memories got eaten, you'd forget who you were, and if your name got eaten, everyone _else _would forget who you were. If both got eaten, you'd fall into a coma and become impossible to wake up. And of course, those guys could make use of anything they ate - one of them actually shapeshifted into a victim of theirs at one point."

"So you're Megaman, and your enemy was Kirby!?"

"Well, they were a lot less cute, and a whole lot more creepy, though… Anyway, several people close to me lost stuff to those bastards, so my hope has been that Gluttony might develop into something that can undo the damage its previous wielders did." I say with a shrug.

"...So you plan on returning to that other world, huh?" Roman says.

"Yeah. That troublesome old man said someone who can bring me home will turn up at Chaldea in something like two-and-a-half years, so I'll be in your care for a little while yet."

"...Right." He sighs. "Anyway, those [Vestiges] of yours have been covered about as well as we can for now, so we should move on."

"...In the end, I think [Authority] sounds cooler, so let's just keep using that." I interject. "Besides, doesn't [Vestige] sound too much like I'm summoning ghosts or something?"

"Hey, I'm writing in pen here! Don't make me go back and change it!"

* * *

"So, you got sucked into Archer's reality marble, and only survived because someone living in Void Space interfered… Ugh, I don't know where to start with that, so we'll leave it alone for now." Roman says, scratching his temple with the back of his pen.

"Hey, don't leave out the part where I heroically finished him off with my spellcasting!" I faux-brag.

"Yes, yes, Subaru-kun is amazing… Anyways, I'll go ahead and fill you in on what you missed while we were rushing you to the medbay." He sighs. "First of all, we didn't lose anyone other than you mid-rayshift, and you came through a little later. As for how everyone's doing, though..."

I see him frown, and I get a sinking feeling. "I suppose it'd be too much to hope for you to just say 'they're all perfectly fine', huh?" I mumble, gritting my teeth.

"...I'm afraid not." He gives a sad smile, and lets out a breath. "To start with, even though you managed to limit the explosion from the bomb directly beneath the director, we still lost an absolutely crippling number of people due to the other bombs. All told, we've only got thirty-four staff members remaining - and eleven of those people are going to have a long road to recovery before they can put in the hours we're going to need. As for the other master candidates, they're all alive - but we had to use the Coffins' cryo-stasis function to keep them that way, and we don't have anywhere near the number of medical staff to dare thawing them out now."

"...If only I wasn't so stupid! I should have realized Flauros would have a manual detonator as a backup!" I mutter, fists clenched.

"Subaru-kun…" He says, giving me a sad look. So he thinks so too, huh? I look away, cringing.

He finally sighs, letting out the tension in his shoulders. "That mess aside... as for Mash, she's doing amazing. In fact, she's the healthiest I've seen her! Her immune system finally seems to have stabilized, and her muscles and heart have exceeded normal human levels of fitness."

"Right, she mentioned something like that… I guess she'll finally be allowed outside after this mess is over, right?" I reply.

"That's my hope!" He says with a grin. "As for Mordred...she's uninjured, but her Noble Phantasm couldn't be salvaged. Da Vinci's working on a substitute, but even with her Item Creation skill, it's not like she'll be able to create something on par with Clarent."

"Right, I've been meaning to ask… that Da Vinci lady, is she-?"

"Oh, right. You haven't met her yet… Well, she's the second servant summoned by Chaldea, a Caster class with all the capabilities of her historical self - genius inventor status and all. And apparently, she also knew a bunch about magecraft back when she was alive, so she's pretty competent in that field as well." He explains. "Personality aside, she's probably one of the best Servants we could hope to have acting as our support!"

"Wait, what's this about her personality?" Please don't tell me that I'll-

"You'll understand when you meet her."

"Nooo! I was afraid you would say that! Every time someone tells me that, it turns out to be a real weirdo!" I complain, running my fingers through my hair.

He chuckles. "Aside from that… we managed to hook up Cu Chulainn to the FATE system, so he won't disappear anytime soon. However, that guy apparently replaced his arm with his master's, and then went and used a bunch of command spells from that arm… Obviously, servants aren't supposed to do that, and now he's got a minor fracture in his [Spirit Origin]. He won't be able to fight on the front lines for at least a few months."

"Geh… is it just me, or is our combat strength actually pretty abysmal right now!?"

"No, you're pretty correct… On the bright side, we should have enough power soon to summon an additional servant, so there's that. Anyway, moving on… Lev." He grimaces, and that cold, sinking feeling from before returns. Shit, come to think of it, Lev certainly seemed out of it at the end there. "I'm sorry to tell you this, after all the hard work you guys put in to recover him alive, but…"

"Lev Lainur, fell catatonic shortly after arriving at Chaldea."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Meant to have this out Monday, but it was not to be. Anyway, there are two or three more chapters at Chaldea before Orleans, so look forwards to that.**

**Next chapter Friday I guess?**

* * *

**Review responses:**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_Do you mean that when Barusu 'dies-dies' in this world he will become a heroic spirit? 'Cause that NP/Skill that he'll have will be way more bullshit than Independent Action. Imagine having to fight a Servant that not only can't die but he will plan around your plan no matter what it is and you won't even know how he does it._

**Well on the other hand he's totally useless in an actual fight, so...**

**I mean, if his master is someone like Bazett he's near guaranteed to win the grail war, but if it's someone like Shinji... well, he'd just get caught in a horrible infinite death loop until he gave up, in all likelihood. **

_Also, it just hit me. What if there is a Barusu Alter? He'll probably have every single Authority and on high power as well. Maybe he'll be able to rival Reinhard!_

**We don't talk about Subaru Alter. **

_Mizen chapter 25 . Jul 11_

_Nice chapter as always. I really love this story and I am pretty sure it was not a mistake. How would Subaru interact with Nightingale?_

**Subaru, first time meeting her: "Seems nice enough."**

**Subaru, several loops later: "Please, for the love of god, someone stop this crazy person."**

_NoNameAvailable Bis chapter 25 . Jul 11_

_First, great concept, and the writing of Subaru followed through. The guy does seem in-character, and so far, his presence makes things rather interesting. I kind of regret that his 'Return by Death' seems to completely bypass the Demon Gods own brand of time-fuckery (especially Flauros, who's the one supposed to 'know the past, present and future'), but I can understand the choice. I also think the whole 'reveal your secret to kill your opponent' is a bit cheap, and a little too consequence-free - I mean sure, it triggers pain strong enough to potentially kill him too, but death so far is a bit inconsequential, and while Return by Death comes with its fair share of traumas for Subaru, pain seems to be the least of it at this point._

**Kind of addressed here. In short, the cheap shot 'tell them about RbD' only works in super narrow circumstances, and is unlikely to come up again. Also, it does cause legitimate health problems. It's not the type of thing one can use very often.**

_A few characters also shone through. Mordred was indeed a fun addition, and Caster Cu was also great (him styling all over Emiya will never not be funny, I think). We didn't get much of Arturia Alter, but what little we got was pretty good, and Emiya is always a fun headspace to get in. A bit more reserved on Hassan - at the end of the day, he ended just being kind of there - which I get, it's hard to make your mark when you're the quiet one surrounded by larger-than-life characters, and your combat ability is crippled to boot._

**Yeah, agreed. If I were forced to rewrite fuyuki from the ground up, Hassan probably would have just disappeared after killing Shaytan, because he adds almost nothing...**

_Mash is probably the one who suffered the most from the split focus. Her starting point was mostly glossed over, she didn't get much to do in most battles - in fact, she was completely sidelined for the final confrontations - and even her activating her Noble Phantasm was treated more like an afterthoughts by the characters in-story. Interestingly, that might open up some interesting story directions; Mash's main struggle was always the feeling of inadequacy as a Servant, and so far this prologue seems like it would reinforce her doubts rather than lessen them. And since her relationship with Subaru seems more distant than the one with Ritsuka, I could see this growing. And since she tends to stay quiet a lot of time, it could take some time before anyone notices what's wrong._

**I've been working to edit a bunch of things in this arc (final edit will be out monday-ish, probably), and this is definitely one of the big issues I plan to address. I'm probably going to rewrite the Lord Chaldeas chapter from basically the ground up, since it was kinda bad...**

_The rest of Chaldea's staff didn't fare too well in-story either. Da Vinci is busy being offscreen at this point of the story, so that's to be expected. But Roman also kind of got yeeted off the control chair, so we didn't get much of him, and Olga was... kind of there? So far, I feel like there wasn't much done with her character. Hopefully that changes in the future._

**Instructions clear; Olga trauma incoming next chapter.**

_Anyway, still an interesting story, and I'm curious to see how you'll tackle the next singularity. Keep up the good work!_

**Thanks! Especially for the detailed response, it really helps me figure out which elements I need to work on.**

_Guest said:_

_There are three godlike entities in re zero, sword god, satella, dragon, and Od Laguna! Which one is the strongest?_

**Well-**

_OTHER Guest said:_

_Reinhard can beat Od Laguna and his canocillay above satella_

**This, basically. Reinhard is the strongest (although his fight with Satella would probably destroy enough of the world in the process that he'd consider it a defeat).**

**EDIT: Seems he'd end up in a stalemate against Satella, according to another reviewer. Of course, once again, most of the world would probably be destroyed in the process, so he'd consider it a loss.**

**And picking a fight with the Od Laguna is a silly move since it's probably neither sentient nor capable of fighting in the first place. And if you were to destroy it all life on the planet would probably end... so, uh, don't do that.**

**As for the sword god... we don't really know anything about it other than that it's a creep who stalks the Astrea family. So that one's a total mystery. If it has the capability to **_**wield **_**a sword, and has the same skills it imparts on those who receive its blessing... it might be Volcanica tier? **

**Anyway, since Volcanica retreated from Sekhmet, we can assume he's probably weaker than Satella - though it could also be that his reason for retreat was more like "I can kill her, but she might scratch me or something, so let's just kite her off the waterfall".**

**In short, most of them are super in the background, so we can't tell for sure.**

_Bridd said:_

_I get it that the theme of Re zero is this but if every time he gets to be killed like this its will dreg quiet a bit yeah? Its something I wondered a lot with the original, there are developments that happen in lost timelines and all gets lost with only subaru knowing about it, overtime the dying alot thingy gets messy if important stuff happens in lost timelines all the time._

**Yeah that's how Re:Zero goes lol. Of course, in that case it's more about overcoming one big obstacle at a time instead of tons of little obstacles like in this fic. I'm trying to keep the pace pretty decent, though, so we'll see.**


	27. Chapter 26

**26: Stars. Cosmos.**

* * *

Night in Antarctica is long. Multiple months long, in fact - from April to August, the sun will not rise. Of course, Chaldea has an illusory bounded field around it set to mimic the day and night cycle of Britain, since living without sunlight for months causes negative effects on the human psyche.

Father's workshop, however, is excluded from the field. Further up the mountain, only accessible by a stairway tunneled into the slope, his observatory has been perfectly positioned to take advantage of the long Antarctic night. Paired with a mystic code placed near the North Pole, the Observatory's telescope is capable of being used at any hour for eight months of the year. (The remaining months, of course, we are forced to deal with the same troubles that the Clock Tower astrologers do, as both poles have normal day/night cycles for part of the year.)

At any rate, since the observatory is usable at any hour, I can use it at times when I'm certain that _certain _members of the staff are asleep. That's right, since I can dodge _his _presence, I can avoid feeling crowded out by the other person to whom Father gave a workshop key.

It's about the space, you see. That's all. Even though the dome-shaped room has a twenty meter diameter, even though there are no fewer than four telescopes in the place, I just can't comfortably do my research while _he's _there. The Animusphere workshop, massive though it is, simply can't fit the both of us.

Because, Kirschtaria Wodime is simply too big.

And so, as I sneak, in the middle of the night like a thief, into my Father's workshop, my heart sinks and my blood runs cold when I open the door. Because, even though he should be asleep, the person I least want to see in this room is working diligently at Father's desk.

Tall, wearing all white, with long flowing blond hair - father's foremost disciple, the leader of Chaldea's A-team, the pride and joy of Clock Tower's astrology department. Kirschtaria Wodime. A mage without peer.

Father's desk is just a bit too tall for me to work at. All of his chairs are too big for me. Even the telescopes, are just a little too high for me to reach without a stool.

And yet, here _he_ is. A man who ought to have had nothing to do with our family, sitting comfortably in that chair, scribbling down some notes. At some point, as I watch him through the cracked door, he stands up and glances through one of the telescopes.

"One for each, then? ...I don't even know what to make of something like this." He says with a sigh. "I should probably sleep on it, in all honesty. Tomorrow's sky should make things a bit more clear."

And then, he makes his way towards the door, where I've been hiding! What do I do!? I could hide, but this is Kirschtaria! He'll find me for sure, and then I'll die of embarrassment! I could run, but he has longer legs, so he'll catch up for sure! So, the only option is… to open the door myself!

"Oh, Kirschtaria. What are you doing up this late?" I say with faked surprise.

"Ah, Director. Sorry for my intrusion." He says with a small bow, and I feel something nasty bubble up in my chest. "I was looking at the file for the new master candidate, and had something I wanted to check."

I can feel my face slip into a slight scowl. "The new master candidate… that's number forty-eight, right?"

"Natsuki Subaru, yes. I was intrigued by his name and ridiculously high master affinity." He replies.

"Subaru… that's the Japanese name for the Pleiades, isn't it?" I mutter. "So you decided to check the stars. Did you find anything interesting?"

"Certainly. Betelgeuse, Regulus, and several other stars are shining unusually bright tonight. What's more, I went ahead and ran a few tests on the provided blood sample… He has a dual origin. 'Star and Spirit'." My father's disciple says, a small smirk gracing his face. If I didn't know better, I'd say he's getting excited. "Director… My intuition is screaming at me. This person is without a doubt, someone important."

"Kirschtaria... " I mutter, eye twitching. "You said that about over half of the master candidates, you know?"

"Well, they're all my important colleagues, after all…" He says, eyes flicking away from me.

"Yes, yes, useful tools and all that." I say, impatience edging into my voice. "But as for candidate forty-eight, it seems you missed the information regarding his magic circuits."

"Severe ruptures that make it impossible for him to expel mana from his circuits, resulting in contamination of the soul over time, and an inability to use magecraft - something on that level isn't that big of a problem." Wodime says, just like the superhuman monster he is. He's three times the mage I am. Ten times more accomplished than anyone else in our age group. Of course he would think that such a thing is simple

He hasn't yet realized that no one else is insane enough to hold themselves to his standards.

"In cases like that, siphoning mana from the circuits using a mystic code or a familiar is a simple enough matter. In fact, if you consider his need to constantly expel mana in tandem with everything else… doesn't it seem like there's something out there, desperately working to ensure that Natsuki becomes a Master?" He continues

"Leaving aside how on earth you're so informed about ruptured circuits… are you saying that you suspect the Counter Force is involved?" I ask.

"...Perhaps. But my thinking was more along the lines of 'the stars certainly seem to love this boy, don't they?'" He replies, and I nod thoughtfully. "As for your non-question about my knowledge, I hadn't realized that your Father didn't tell you. My apologies."

Again, something unpleasant bubbles up in my chest. "Didn't tell me what, Wodime?"

His words hit me like a brick wall. "...My own magic circuits have been ruptured in a similar manner since I was fourteen years old."

...

"...But, most of your accomplishments… have been in the past ten years." I stammer, eye twitching. "And you achieved all of it, with your circuits like that!?"

"That is correct. Like I said, it's not particularly difficult once you get the hang of it." He says dismissively.

Kirschtaria Wodime… is simply too big.

* * *

Of course, in the end I dismissed Wodime's insight on the subject of Natsuki Subaru. It was only natural to do so - the man was competent, but he had a consistent tendency to overestimate the capabilities of other people. Kirschtaria Wodime lived his life as if unaware of the fact that not everyone could become a titan like him.

And so, when I learned that Natsuki Subaru was the only master who made it to Singularity F, I was absolutely certain that we were doomed. I would be blamed for the disaster, and with nothing to show for our rayshifting efforts aside from over a hundred dead staff members, we'd lose UN funding, and Chaldea would cease to exist.

And then, the next morning, Romani reported their progress.

Natsuki hadn't found any gems in the Tohsaka residence - rather, he found a _Noble Phantasm. _And it got more ridiculous from there. A demon-possessed Servant - freed from the possession and contracted. Mordred Pendragon, the third or fourth most famous Knight of the Round - contracted and supplied with mana without any visible strain. Heracles, the greatest hero of Greece - defeated without a single injury.

"_So don't worry, Director! I'll definitely save Lev. That's a promise." _\- he said something absurd like that, like it was nothing. Like Demonic Possession wasn't one of the most dangerous, most irreversible things in the world.

Yet, somehow… some small part of me believed him. All signs pointed to it being impossible. Everything I knew about Demons said that exorcism became impossible when the will was completely subsumed. I knew. I knew that the only part of me that actually believed him was the fragile, emotional part of me that couldn't survive without Lev Lainur to look after me.

_And then Natsuki actually pulled it off._

"See you guys in a bit!"

As I watch Lev and the others dematerialize, I finally allow myself to calm down. It's over. The Demon is gone. We may have lost a significant number of staff, but we were successful nonetheless. The other master candidates may have been stuck in cryostasis, but they're still alive, and once we get reinforcements from outside-

"Shit! Why now?" A staff member yells. "Director, we just lost Natsuki's signal!"

"What!? Find him! After all the effort he put in for our sake, we can't leave him out to dry!" I yell.

"I'm trying! But with these readings… was he pulled into a Reality Marble!?"

"The [Alien Common Sense] of Demons… So Flauros wasn't dead yet!?" Someone else shouts.

Dammit! This can't be happening!

"The Singularity's collapse is accelerating!" Shouts a man behind me. "Timeline stabilization in fifteen seconds!"

"Da Vinci! Come to the command room - and bring the [Paper Moon]!" I shout into the intercom. "Natsuki will be dumped into Void Space when the singularity resolves; we'll need that thing to have any chance of finding him! Sylvia, what about the rest?"

"All other signals holding relatively stable - though Cu Chulainn's is slowly declining!"

"That's to be expected… Romani, how are their vitals?" I turn to see the normally carefree man gritting his teeth.

"Timeline stabilization in ten seconds!"

"Confirming minor fracture in Cu Chulainn's Spirit Origin, along with the complete absence of his right arm! Mordred and Mash are all green… Lev Lainur has trace amounts of the [Sixth Imaginary Factor] in his system, but they're steadily decreasing! His mind and body are intact… crap! I'm not getting any reading for his soul!" The Doctor shrieks.

"No… soul..?" I mutter, ice surging through my veins.

"Timeline stabilization in five…!"

"Summon procedure beginning. Diverting all nonessential power to [LAPLACE]!" Another woman yells, and the lights cut out as golden dust begins to float through the air.

"Four…Three…!"

Lit only by the pale light of computer monitors and the fiery glow of Chaldeas, a man in a green suit slowly materializes in his usual spot on the command deck.

"Lev!" I yell as tears fill my eyes, and I embrace the only person in the world that I know for certain I can trust. "Lev, please… tell me you're alright! As long as you're okay, then-!"

"Two…One...!"

Lev collapses against me, and I can't hope to hold him up. He falls to his knees, chin on my shoulder.

"...Olga." He rasps, next to my ear. I mutely nod. Tears begin to burn at my eyes. "Flauros… still alive. Reborn. Endless… rebirth."

"...Chaldeas is still on fire! Even though the singularity is resolved-!"

"Humanity… incinerated. Seven… singularities." Lev mutters, and my breathing begins to quicken as the panic attack starts to set in.

"Confirming- everyone except Natsuki Subaru has safely arrived at Chaldea!" I hear someone yell, miles away.

Lev pulls back, and gives his usual close-eyed smile. "Sorry for the… inconvenience."

And with that, he slumps to the ground, and my world falls to pieces.

* * *

Lev looks perfectly peaceful as he slumbers, a faint smile on his face. His chest rises and falls, with nothing visibly wrong with him. However…

That's just on the surface. In truth, Lev Lainur's soul is completely absent - his ability to speak before seems to have just been the 'lingering will' of his body, and with that last remnant of his existence expended, he _should _be dead. The trauma caused by the soul leaving the body is almost invariably fatal.

And yet, here he is, the picture of serenity, without a single sign of pain. So, with that in mind, perhaps…

The door to Lev's room opens.

"Yo, Director. I finally got cleared to leave my hospital bed, so I decided to swing by." Says Natsuki Subaru.

"What for?" I snap, despite myself.

"...I came to apologize." He says, grimacing. "I said that I would do my best to save Lev, but…"

I sigh. "You don't need to feel guilty. I was being hysterical, so a quick, comforting lie was necessary to get me to work in my proper capacity."

"No, I wasn't intending to lie." He replies. "I really did want to follow through on that promise. So… I'm sorry for my failure."

...It's an absurd apology. To begin with, the mere fact that Lev wasn't killed outright is a miracle. When it comes to exorcisms of mature demons, I've only heard of a _single _modern case where the possessed person survived. Of course, as a no-name from the far east, it's not like Natsuki would have the context for how ridiculous his apology sounds.

But still...

"Are you stupid?" I end up blurting out. "You may not know a thing about Daemons, but surely you realize just how ridiculously powerful Flauros was! In the first place, the fact that it was expelled from Lev, and that you all made it back to Chaldea safely, are miracles! You have to at least know that much!"

"Of course it was hard. It was an uphill battle all the way! I was scared, and stressed out, and desperately trying my hardest to keep everyone alive! But, seeing him end up like this… leaves a really bad taste in my mouth." His teeth grind as he clenches his hands tightly. "I know I'm being unreasonable. I know that. But, is it so wrong, to want things to end happily? I'm so sick of these damn surprise downer endings!"

"You just didn't realize it at the time, Natsuki. This wasn't a surprise. From the start, a result like this was... inevitable." I say as my eyes start stinging.

"But he needed the grail to use that weird tentacle form of his! If I was just a little smarter, I could have stopped him from setting off the bombs, and we could have just captured him… I'm sure, if I hadn't used _that _method to drive out Flauros, then Lev would still be-!" He protests, and my teeth start grinding together.

"_No one else is insane enough to hold themselves to Kirschtaria Wodime's standards."_

-I was wrong. I was completely wrong, when I thought that.

"...Natsuki. Please stop saying things that will make me hate you." I finally mutter.

"...Sorry." He says, looking down. "...I'll leave you alone for now."

He exits the room, closing the door behind him - leaving me alone, at the bedside of the most important person in my world. A person that I know... will never wake up.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry this is late.**

**Olga chapter this time. Some elaboration on Lev's condition, as well as a brief appearance by Wodime.**

**Next chapter Wednesday, hopefully.**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

_Ravenext said:_

_"I had been wanting to write an FGO fic for a while. However, the idea that I almost went with was a completely different crossover, where Kasen Ibara (the Touhou Project equivalent of Ibaraki Douji) ends up having to work with Chaldea to save the world, and in the process confronts her chuuni past."_

_This reminded me of my own idea which basically amounted to: "Mokou left to the outside world and somehow got hired into Chaldea". I never went anywhere with that story but damn this paragraph reminded me a lot of it._

**As everyone is preparing to rayshift to London, there's a knock on Chaldea's door.**

**The staff manage to bring up a video feed of the outside, revealing two women.**

**Eirin: "Please let us in. Everything is on fire out here."**

**Mokou: "Don't let them in. They are clearly enemies of humanity."**

**Kaguya: *Weakly shakes her fist***

_IhevMelons9 said:_

_Great job as always. I don't know for how long this fanfic will go on for since FGO is a beast of a game but regardless of how far you plan to go with this story, it will still be one of my favorites._

**For the moment I have pretty solid plans for everything up to the end of Okeanos, and some ideas for London, Camelot, and Babylonia**

_Though I am curious how death based servants will react to Suffaru like King of the Mountain, Nitocris and most importantly Ereshkigal. Would telling Eresh about return by death even work on her at all?_

**It very much depends on the servant. In the case of Eresh, he's certainly a curiosity for her. He could probably blab about RbD in Kur, but Satella would pitch a fit after he got out.**

_Kulkukan-chan said:_

_To great chapter. So if our best girl petelgeuse were to arrive in chaldea how would the servants react or how will the staff reacts. I mean I like his way of speaking but still hate him for what he did to rem. Still petelgeuse and gilles caster wonder who is much more insane? Would like to see servants get creeped out by his speaking pattern... DESU! Truly they are slothful desu me?_

**Honestly, the problem most servants would have with him would probably be more the whole 'evil cultist serial killer' thing than his speech patterns. Though some of them would get grossed out by his mannerisms as well.**

_Mingyu said:_

_You have no idea how happy I was that other people saw Subaru gaining Authorities from the Archbishops and instantly thought "Megaman!" Although the fact that I haven't heard it before probably says more about my lack of involvement with the Re:Zero Fandom than anything else. I wouldn't have expected Dr. Romani to have really heard of Megaman though, but now my headcanon states that he previously had his Gameboy confiscated..._

**Considering Romani has that whole 'Magi Mari' thing going on, I don't think it's out of character for him to be relatively up to date on pop culture.**

_Thanks for the chapter! And I'd argue that Subaru is possibly the ONLY person Nightingale could kill in order for them to get better!_

**...You're certainly not wrong...**

_Hohohoho said:_

_Another great chapter and keep up the good work. Also how do you think the great rabbit will fare in the nasuverse? _

**Tristan: *Traumatic 'Vorpal Rabbit' flashbacks***

_Also even if will not happen I hope some of the fate mc's gets to experience Subaru's journey in re zero and of course they get no power just be a ordinary human and I'm looking at you shirou. I mean at most fanfics I read most are ShIrOu use "TrAce oN" and of course let's not forget to also have them experience death. So out of all the fate mc's which do you think will break first? Anyways good work and hope to see more content_

**Unlikely to happen, since I have zero interest in doing watchfic style stuff (it's just not interesting to me). As far as RbD goes... it depends on what you mean by 'Fate MCs' and what you mean by 'break'.**

**I'd put decent odds on Shirou going full Kasaneru and killing himself over and over in order to save everyone, so in that sense, he'd almost certainly be the first to 'break'. On the other hand if you count Shiki Tohno as a 'Fate MC', his circumstances related to his eyes would probably make him totally lose it and go full serial killer after his first death.**

_m said:_

_here is what the author said when asked what would happen in a fight between satella and reinhard_

_Q: In a fight between Satella and Reinhard, of course Reinhard would win right? Also, what's the difference in strength between the two?_

_A: Due to a matter of affinity it would be an endless battle. The difference is between Disgaea and Final Fantasy. (- I don't really get that, if someone could explain that'd be great)_

_If he draws his own sword, Reinhard can fight against Volcanica(The Dragon), and makes stalemate on Satella._

**Fair enough. Previous chapter reveiw response adjusted accordingly.**

_Slackboy101 said:_

_How many times would Gil Kill Subaru out of Annoyance if he was summoned?_

**Gil doesn't mind having a court jester around. The real threat is to the poor king's abs. He'll get cramps if he laughs too much, you know?**

_So I'm going give a list of names, what are the chances of being summoned_

_Rem_

_Kintoki (Beserker and Rider)_

_Gilgamesh (Any of the 3)_

_Artoria (Saber, Lancer, and the X's)_

_Emiya Archer_

_Lancer Cu_

_Jeanne_

_Tammano_

_Caster Giles_

_Hans so he can roast the shit outta him_

_Shakespeare_

_Nightengale_

_Raikou_

_Serenity_

_Thousand Personas_

_and finally, Rem_

**In terms of a summon with no catalyst, and no interference from the counter force, the odds would be:**

**Rem - Extremely high**

**Kintoki - Extremely high**

**Gilgamesh - Very low**

**Artoria - Moderate (Extremely high for Greed!Subaru)**

**Emiya Archer - Moderate ****(Very high for Greed!Subaru)**

**Lancer Cu - Moderate**

**Jeanne - Moderate ****(High for Greed!Subaru)**

**Tamamo - Low**

**Caster Giles - Low (Extremely high for Pride!Subaru)**

**Hans - Low**

**Shakespeare - Moderate**

**Nightingale - Low**

**Raikou - Low**

**Serenity - Low**

**Thousand Personas - Low (Extremely high for Gluttony!Subaru)**

**Of course, these are not necessarily representative of their chances in-story, since the Counter Force is messing with things.**

_J chapter 26 . Jul 16_

_Mordred would likely be abLe to use avalon without subarus With how Fate works, it is 100% possible for Mordred to activate and use Avalon. Let me give a vague example from canon material that proves this is true: In Apocrypha, one Heroic Spirit lends a Noble Phantasm to another. It is mentioned in the material book that normally this is not allowed, and simply wouldn't work– a Noble Phantasm is not something that can be given away. However, because the Giver in his legend often lent other people his weapons or equipment, and because the Receiver in his legend often borrowed Noble Phantasms from others (to the point where all of his NPs are borrowed), it was possible for these Heroic Spirits to change Noble Phantasms like that._

_Parallel to that, we have Mordred and Arturia. What is Mordred's Noble Phantasm, both as a Saber and as a summer Rider? Clarent and Prydwen. Both Noble Phantasms that were originally Arturia's, both Noble Phantasms that were Stolen._

_Since Avalon was something that Arturia [Lost], and since Mordred's Noble Phantasms are [Stolen] from Arturia specifically, Mordred could 100% get Avalon working, and most likely without even trying. In fact, I think it would activate upon Mordred being summoned,_

**To me it seems kinda sketchy for it to just work for Mordred, since it conspicuously _didn't _work when she stole it in life.**

**Also worth noting that Clarent _doesn't _actually function for Mordred; it should be B-rank and give an increase to all her parameters, but since she was never king, it's reduced to C-rank and only increases the potency of mana channeled through it. In fact, [Clarent Blood Arthur] is actually just an amplified mana burst channeled through the sword, not the energy of the sword itself.**

**Incidentally, if EMIYA had been allowed to complete his attempt to mimic this technique in chapter 13, he would have used the invocation [Clarent Blade Works], and it probably would have shot a different colored beam.**

_Guest said:_

_Who would Subaru's Servant have been (or the likely candidates) if he had joined the A team? It's been bothering me for a bit, but now all I can imagine is a Master-Servant pair of Subaru and Subaru(Foreigner) complaining about how useless the other is._

**If the A-team had safeguards preventing the summoning of extra classes, it'd have to be Jason. The two are just way too similar. Of course, if he _could _summon an extra class, it'd be Petelgeuse or Roy Alphard (Technically, it'd be Louis Arneb, but she'd refuse the summons and it would default to one of those two).**

_Although it would be interesting to see a "what if " with Subaru joining the Crypters and having a Lostbelt that has to be resolved by the Protagonist._

**If he summoned a lostbelt servant, it would end up being a similar situation to Ophelia's Saber, with Satella replacing Surtr.**


	28. Chapter 27

**27: Try to know what you're talking about.**

* * *

"...Idiot." I mutter to myself, slumping against the wall outside Lev's room. "What the hell were you thinking, Natsuki Subaru? That if you just apologized for your screwups, everything would be fixed?"

It won't be that easy. Saying sorry won't return Lev Lainur's soul to his body, or undo the explosions of the bombs I failed to stop. The latter is impossible to fix at this point. With the exception of Natsuki Subaru, the dead don't come back to life, and [Return by Death] only ever returns me to the most recent 'save point'. And as for the former...

It goes without saying, using the Witch's taboo like that was a mistake. After all, it's not in her nature to be gentle when tearing apart those who learn about [Return by Death]. In all likelihood she tore out Lev's soul at the same time that she removed Flauros, without bothering to distinguish between the two.

And of course… knowing this power of mine works, I won't be able to return far enough back to make a difference now.

No, that's not quite right. The truth is, if I had really wanted to save Lev, I'd have made sure that he was alright the moment Flauros was gone. There was already clearly something wrong with him at that point. But I pushed it aside, because I was selfish.

"Because… I still don't want to die, huh?" I mumble, scratching at my arm and beginning my slow walk back to my room. That's right, even though I've died more than fifty times at this point, I'm still hesitant to-

"Oi, just what the hell am I thinking?" I realize.

I've already been down this mental road and been scolded for it before. It's not wrong to survive. It's not wrong to want to live. It's not wrong to be afraid of dying.

...Where was I?

Right, a way to fix the damage to Lev…

"His soul is missing… but what does that even mean?" I mutter, trying to think back to my brief stay at the Clock Tower. The nature of the soul, what exactly a soul is, was certainly covered. However, I didn't have the chance to attend that lecture.

"Right, that was the day Von Krudik kidnapped me, wasn't it?" I mutter. And while the guy who rescued me did try to explain the concept to me afterwards…

"_Well, it's like a dance between 'that' and you, you know?"_

...Flat Escardos was terrible at explaining things. Even after he spent several hours telling me about it, I still couldn't wrap my head around his explanation. I had meant to ask the Professor for help, but a few days after that fiasco I finally got my chance to meet with Zelretch, so it never wound up happening.

So… if it's come to this, I'll use my secret special move-!

* * *

"I'm completely clueless, so please explain it to me." I say with a polite bow.

Doctor Roman sighs. "...The Soul, huh? Well, that's a pretty complicated question, since there are so many schools of thought on it… Chaldea uses the threefold existence model, which posits an independent [Body], [Mind], and [Soul]."

"...So, it's something as extreme as having the body completely destroyed? How is Lev even still alive, then?" I ask.

"...Well, in theory, you actually have to eliminate at least two of the three in order to actually kill someone. Of course, it's not like the body, mind, and soul are wholly divorced from one another. Under normal circumstances, just losing one would cause cascading trauma that kills the other two." Roman says. "If I had to guess… odds are that it's because of what Flauros talked about. That the Lainur family was created for the exact purpose of hosting him. If that's the case, then it explains how he could be possessed without experiencing the usual bodily and mental corruption that demonic possession entails."

"Eh… so there are usually pretty clear signs, huh?"

"Sort of. The real bodily changes don't usually kick in until the demon is fully matured, from what I've been told." He says. "But once the demon's matured, it's way too late to save the possessed person. For that reason… those who can detect demons are highly prized by the church." He locks eyes with me.

"Hey, it was just a fluke this time, okay? A fluke!" I say, sweating a bit under his stare. "Don't go selling me to the church or something!" I already know that won't end well, after all. The life I spent dealing with those guys was a disaster through and through.

He chuckles. "Anyway, the fact of the matter is, we got incredibly lucky with Lev. As a general rule, surviving a full demonic possession is impossible. Supposedly there's a man in the [Burial Agency] who can actually exorcise fully matured demons, but even then, it's unknown what happened to the person he saved."

"I'm sure they're fine… is what I'd like to say, but since the one to do it was one of those weirdos, there's seriously no guarantee!" I yell.

"Wait, Subaru-kun, are you actually familiar with-?"

"Nope. I've definitely never met any of them before. I'm just inferring based on their reputation, yep." I say with a forced smile.

"R-right… in any case, Lev's chances of recovery aren't _zero_, but we can't do anything with the equipment we have here at Chaldea. And, well…" He says, trailing off with a sad look.

"Yeah. Humanity has been incinerated, after all." I mutter.

Things weren't fixed when the Fuyuki Singularity was resolved. [Apocalypse Conflagration] was not prevented. At the present moment, every human being outside of Chaldea is no more than cinders. And unless we resolve all seven of the extra singularities that popped up in the wake of the first's collapse, they'll remain that way.

"Well, it's not like we had any choice in the first place. We'll just have to save the world, right?" I say with a chuckle.

The doctor lets out a laugh of his own. "I guess so! Nowhere to go but up, right?"

"Exactly!" I reply, grinning. "On that note, I know I'm clear to move around, but how soon will I actually be able to exert myself physically? I've got to get back into shape if I'm going to be scrambling around another seven Fuyuki-level disaster areas, you know!"

"Hmm…" He closes his eyes and nods, stroking his chin. "Well, according to Cu Chulainn, you should already be healthy apart from the blood loss - and since modern medicine has _that _part covered, you're technically good to go. Still, considering the wounds you sustained, I'd really like to supervise your rehabilitation. As long as I'm there to keep an eye on you, it's probably fine!"

"Great! That means you get to be my first… no, actually, you're my _fourth _victim!" I say with a thumbs up.

"Mhm, that's… Wait, what's this about me being a victim!?" He yells. "Subaru-kun, don't just laugh menacingly! You need to explain at least a little!"

For a brief moment, his reaction reminds me of a certain grey-haired merchant. Quickly, I turn my face away from Roman, and blink to control the stinging in my eyes. Am I replacing my friend? Is that what's happening right now?

For a couple seconds, guilt eats away at me - and then I realize how stupid I'm being. I'm not replacing my friend. I'm just making another friend. I'm allowed to have more than one friend, even if they are surprisingly similar in how they respond to my jokes. In fact, having friends who are similar to each other is good, since that means they'll get along well with one another.

Right. Right. This is fine. Besides, Otto's probably whining to himself right now about how he misses playing the straight man to my jokes. Right, it's decided, I'll mess with him twice as hard to make up for lost time when we reunite.

But for now, I need to keep in practice.

"Muahahaha! You already agreed to be there, after all! Everything is going according to plan!" I laugh.

"Wait, three prior victims… Mash, Cu Chulainn, and Mordred… No, I refuse! Anything but thaaaat!" Roman yells, scrambling away.

"Heh heh heh… Too late, Doctor! No one escapes… Radio Calisthenics!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Incidentally, I wanted Da Vinci to be the one to explain the soul stuff, but then I realized Subaru's a bit more likely to go to the Medical Doctor he already knows to learn about the medical condition of Lev. I'm kind of glad with how it turned out, though.**

**Luckily, friendship is not an exclusive relationship. Also, Subaru is on good terms with Flat, which is also my way of saying "I just binge-read Strange Fake, in preparation for _'s appearance in Orleans, and _'s appearance in Okeanos."**

**Anyway, sorry this was a bit late. Next chapter Mondayish.**

* * *

**Review responses:**

_Kulkukan-chan said:_

_So what about regulus what would the servants think of him and what will they think about his powers? Hoping to see more content and stay face sir_

**"So he also acts like a creepy weirdo to throw off his opponents... I see, I s- It's not an act!?" -Blackbeard**

**"It's like if you took away Jason's few redeeming qualities." -Medea and ****Atalanta.**

**"Hmm... I think I could make a fun toy out of him~" -Stheno**

**"Aaaaaarthuuuuur!" -Lancelot**

**I will do my best to stay face I guess.**

_Alverd said:_

_So, if Mordred is now a Servant of Chaldea, what does this mean for London Mordred and especially Camelot Mordred? Will they still be there and if they are, will they meet this one?_

**That's a secret for now!~**

_IhevMelons9 said:_

_I must confess, I am not finished with part 1 of FGO[still in london]. I do not mind spoilers for parts 1.5 and 2 but the lostbelt stuff is going to go over my head._

**Yeah, my bad. I should have given Kirschtaria a bit more of an introduction. I added a couple sentences to explain who he is to Olga and Chaldea.**

**"****Tall, wearing all white, with long flowing blond hair - father's foremost disciple, the leader of Chaldea's A-team, the pride and joy of Clock Tower's astrology department. Kirschtaria Wodime. A mage without peer."**

**(He's a master who got put on ice, and only wakes up during the lostbelt stuff.)**

_Wolfclaw661 said:_

_Apologies if this is an annoying question but seeing as it's been brought up in this chapter I'm curious as to how exactly the origin of someone is relevant to things like magecraft? I'm quite a novice in the lore and systems for this stuff so apologies again if this is an odd thing to ask. Also how common is a dual origin? Star for Subaru makes complete sense but the only thing I can guess for Spirit is the high affinity he has for the spirit arts. is that the explanation for why he has that kind of presence to spirits?_

**Every human has an origin and an element. Elements tend to be what you'd imagine (fire, water, etc., with a few rare extras showing up now and then). Origin tends to be a bit more conceptual. (Shiki Ryougi's, for example, is [Emptiness], while Sherlock's is [Elucidation]). Element is only really important to mages (casting along your elemental affinity reduces mana costs), but Origin can impact almost everything one does in life. Usually people find absurd amounts of success when what they're doing aligns with their origin - Sherlock being the easiest example. If a mage's path aligns with their Origin, even absurd things like Reality Marbles can be within the reach of a first generation mage.**

**(Incidentally, Shirou Emiya's element and origin are both [Sword].)**

**As for dual origins, the only example we're given of such a thing is Kiritsugu's origin of [Severing and Binding]. That doesn't tell how rare or common such a thing is - in fact it might be less that it's a dual origin and more that it's a single origin with two aspects. Who knows. **

**Anyway, yeah. Subaru has an origin of [Star and Spirit], which helped with his learning the spirit arts - or perhaps he acquired an origin of [Star and Spirit] due to whatever relationship he has with Flugel, and that relationship is the real reason he's got such an affinity for spirits. (In Shirou's case, he seems to have acquired his [Sword] origin and element thanks to Avalon being implanted in his soul as he was developing and recovering from the soul melting fuyuki fire.)**

_Anyways when it comes to the story so far I have very little complaints. It has definitely been fast paced but your writing especially with the influence of the first person perspectives of the characters has mitigated the majority of the problems on that front allowing a lot of personality and charisma to be in something that if written in third person I think would lose some of its heart. I'm very impressed with how authentic Subaru feels in this story you've pulled off a lot of his mannerisms and personality expertly. A lot of the weaknesses I find in fanfiction is the character writing and authenticity of the MC especially but this is one story that hasn't failed on that note when it is explored in heavier detail. In fact this element of Save Scumming is so compelling that I would love to see (if possible) you lean heavier into character interaction, dialogue and relationships. They are already great but if you delved into that more I think you could really have something special on your hands. I already understand the relationships the characters have with each other generically but I think there is quite a bit of potential for development especially with how they influence each other in that department. It would be lovely to see everyone bond and become more connected and also how their interactions change each other. This is also where I would ask how much Subaru himself will be influenced by this? He has loads of room to grow in interesting ways thanks to the situation you've have placed him in. Again apologies if this is a little too much focus on this particular part of the story._

**Yeah, I'm definitely working on giving the characters some room to breathe and grow closer at the moment. Fuyuki was a mess, but things are gonna be calm for a bit. Until they aren't.**

_Aside from characters the action sequences so far have been a pleasant surprise with highlights like the first and second battle with Salter, Emiya and Cu's fight and Subaru's 'duel' with Alter Emiya. You've managed to balance the exciting action and relevant emotions surrounding these moments without dragging things out too much and wiping the tension from it all. Your comedic writing and interactions so far have also provided the much needed relief from suffering that the readers and Subaru need so that it isn't compete pain and misery._

**I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed them. I'm honestly not _that _experienced with fight scenes, so I'm happy to hear that I've been striking a decent balance.**

_Sorry about the huge fucking essay I just wrote. I would also like to apologize if my critique was vague or not useful as I'm very bad at elaborating on things. I would like to say thank you for writing such a fun and compelling fic. It's actually thanks to this fic that I've become more interested in Fate in general. It's been a brilliant ride so far and I'm excited to see what comes next._

**Thank you for your feedback! It certainly helped.**

_Brokula said:_

_Btw, how is powerscaling in this story? As in, if theoretically Subaru were to summon one of the 7 witches, would they be equivalent to the mid-LV Servants, the stronger ones, deities or whatever else._

**Very much depends on the Witch. Satella is pretty much beast-tier, but the rest of them have some pretty big variance. Daphne, Sekhmet, and Echidna would be pretty heavy hitters - possibly also nearing beast-tier. But meanwhile, Carmilla's effectiveness is purely down to whether her enemies can resist her charm, and Typhon is similarly situational. Minerva just ends up being 'Nightingale but she actually heals you'**

_Guest said:_

_I was rereading this and found that someone complained about not being able to download FGO since it is not available in their country._

_Just use APKPure_

**No more shall we be slaves to geography! VPN is love! VPN is life!**

_Awsome fic by the way, i legitimately started playing FGO for the sole reason of this fic._

**Woah, thanks for the praise.**

_Only objection i would have would be sub dying in every conflict. Take in consideration that a normal dude survived everything without dying once. Of course it must happen but it would be nice if he could do something without the need to restart for a change of pace._

**Well, part of that comes down to Ritsuka being sorta sketchy as far as this fic is concerned. Consider Zelretch's statement in chapter 4: **

**"Correct. Rather than myself, the one best for the job would be a [Perfectly Ordinary Human Being]. However, since this timeline is lacking a unique existence like that, you'll have to fill in."**_  
_

**-Implying that [Ordinary Human]s aren't actually common. Which personally I think makes sense, in a Nasu kind of way.**

**In any case, Subaru won't die to _everything_. After all, he survived Flauros and EMIYA, didn't he?**

_One last thing, if you are not sure about something from the re zero please check this site it has most of the q&a by tappei www. /r/Re_Zero /wiki/translation #wiki_arc_6_

**Oooooh, primary sources! Thank you, thank you!**

_YoMama21 said:_

_So like, do you think King Hassan can cut the connection between Subaru and Satella? Would there be any reprecussions at all?_

**That will have to remain secret for now!~**


	29. Chapter 28

**28: A Knight's Sword.**

* * *

As I exit the infirmary, I run into an unexpected face. An athletic woman in a T-shirt and jeans, with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail - on her way back from the simulator, judging from the sweat on her face.

"Yo, Mordred! Did you finish bullying Mash already?" I ask the knight.

"Oi, I'm gonna need to object to your word choice there." She deadpans. "People will get the wrong idea."

"...Well I can see that." I reply, tapping my chin. "Then, did you finish stealing Mash's lunch money already?"

"Don't just double down on it!" She yells. "It's just training, dammit, training! It's natural that it's one-sided for now, since she's got to adapt _that guy's _fighting style to her smaller body!"

"Hm… if you say so." I mutter in faux concern. "Still, if I catch you sending her to the lunchroom to buy you food, I'm telling the teacher."

"Just what type of person do you think I am!?"

"Huh? A delinquent, obviously." I say without hesitation. "I bet you rode a motorcycle to school and hid on the rooftop to smoke cigarettes."

"No way! Those things are gross! I'm never smoking ever again!" She protests.

"Wait, so you've actually done it!?" I laugh.

"S-shut up!"

* * *

"So you were on your way to pick up your new sword?" I ask as we walk through the deserted hallway. "Da Vinci sure works fast, huh? I'm glad we've got someone reliable handling this stuff."

Considering we only got back four days ago, I'm sure it's gotta be an absurd feat, even if the [Mystic Code] she's creating will never measure up to [Clarent].

"Hey, don't go calling her reliable to her face. That woman's already got an ego and personality about as twisted as that flower bastard's." Mordred sighs.

"Flower bastard…?" I ask. If that's some old enemy of hers, I don't think I've heard-

"Merlin." She says. "I mean, they aren't rotten in quite the same ways, but it's annoying nonetheless."

"Eehh…" I groan. "So he's got a gross personality too, huh? I guess I should have been able to guess that by this point."

"Hm?" She raises an eyebrow.

"I met three or four renowned magic-users in the other world, and they were all perverts, scumbags, or perverted scumbags." I explain.

"Oh, if those are the categories, then it's easy - Da Vinci, Mother, Merlin." The knight says.

"Tch, so they're both perverts, huh? So, which kind? Exhibitionist perverts? Creepy clown perverts? 'Tee-hee, that drink was actually my bodily fluids' perverts?" I ask with a shudder.

"Merlin was half-incubus, so he couldn't feel emotion without leeching it from others… so he went around, telling innocent people things like 'unfortunately, your father will never love you', and 'don't worry, I'm sure someone will love you one day', and even 'I've fallen in love with you just now, would you marry me?' - just to laugh and take those emotions for his own later use!" She shouts, tears in her eyes.

Somehow, the image of a laughing man with slicked-back blue hair and a white and black mask appears in my mind. But I'm pretty sure that I've never met anyone like that, right?

"Eh, Master, you're looking a bit pale there…" Mordred comments.

"Roswaal is the teacher… the giant hamster wants to eat me… the little girl is a salaryman..." I mutter massaging my temples. "Ugh, my head…"

"Master, you're going cross-eyed, so stop thinking about strange things, okay!?"

* * *

Da Vinci's workshop is a mixed up place, full of all kinds of objects that really shouldn't be sharing a space - as befits the world-famous [Renaissance Man], who lived a ridiculous multi-faceted life as an artist, scientist, inventor, and mage. The shelves are filled with books, models, telescopes, strange magic items, blueprints… From the ceiling, several model flying contraptions hang, and spread across the room's multiple tables are various manuscripts, paintings, and diagrams.

...Well, that being said, it's all still several orders of magnitude more organized than Roswaal's office, so my butler's pride can let this one go.

"Well, if it isn't our mysterious alien man of mystery!" Says a beautiful dark-haired woman. "And Mordred as well - welcome to Da Vinci-chan's wonderful workshop!"

"Wait, do I actually seem that suspicious!?" I complain. "Also, despite my time in another world, I'm still originally from Earth, you know! Do you consider Neil Armstrong an alien!?"

Da Vinci smirks. "Well, depending on what the data that the Magi in the US have kept to themselves says, the answer might not be what you'd expect. But let's move past that for now, okay?"

"No, you definitely just said something unbelievable that I don't want to let slide…" I mutter.

"In any case, I suppose you've both come along to pick up my newest masterpiece?" She says, breezing past my flimsy protest and leading us over to a hastily constructed forge in one of the corners of the room. Once there, she picks up a two-handed sword in a silver-red scabbard, and unsheathes it to display a gleaming silver blade patterned with lines of blue crystal. "Ta-da! Da Vinci-chan's brand new [Azoth Longsword]! Let me tell you, reworking Para-kun's magnum opus into something that could be used in actual melee without breaking was no mean feat! But here it is - it's no [Clarent], but it should be able to repurpose and amplify your Mana Bursts in a similar enough manner for you to imitate what you did with that sword."

Mordred picks it up with some apprehension, giving it a few experimental swings - and then a smile splits her face and she lets out a gleeful shout. "Woah, what the hell!? This thing's actually amazing! I was expecting it to be all clumsy, 'cause you're not a swordsman, but it's almost as easy to use as Clarent!"

"Heh, heh, heh!" The inventor lets out a smug laugh. "Just who do you think I am? Barring the Wright Brothers or maybe old man Daedalus, there's not a Heroic Spirit in existence more versed in aerodynamic design than me!"

"...But your flying machines were never actually built, were they?" I can't help but point out.

"Bah! The jump from blueprints to the real world is only difficult if you can't account for every tiny difference between reality and your mental model thereof." She says, waving off my concern with an absurd boast. "A beautiful genius like myself is more than capable of such things, you know? It's nowhere near as difficult as turning myself into a woman was."

"...Hang on, can you repeat that?" I must have misheard.

"Turning myself into a woman was much harder than creating vehicles is." She repeats, a smile on her face.

"So I heard right the first time!?"

"Indeed! Such a thing wasn't possible when I was alive, but since Spirit Origins are surprisingly malleable, I was able to turn myself into a perfect incarnation of beauty!" She boasts, flinging her arms wide. "Behold! Life imitates art!"

"Perfect incarnation of beauty…?" I mumble.

"Look! You want to see? See!" She says, growing more and more animated. "Feast your eyes! Glut your soul on my all encompassing beauty!"

"Well, there's no accounting for taste." I finally conclude.

"Eh!? Taste!? I'm the Mona Lisa! _That _Mona Lisa! Taste has nothing to do with it; this is what true beauty looks like!" She shouts. "...Oh!~ I see… you're the type who likes to see pretty girls flustered!~ I see, I see-!"

"No, I'm just not interested. The _true _standard of beauty is about four centimeters taller, with pointed ears, purple eyes and silver hair that reaches her waist." I explain, nodding to myself. "Also, she looks really beautiful in a white dress with purple highlights, although in truth she actually looks cute no matter what she's wearing. In addition, she's willing to call people stupid to their face, but only when they're actually being stupid or when she just happens to be really flustered. As an added bonus, she's got an adorable tendency to use outdated slang terms, allowing me to correct her as a running joke between the two of us. She wants to be king, but only because it's the only way she knows of to help a bunch of people from her hometown. In short, Emilia-tan is perfect, so you don't measure up at all!"

"Ah, I see. So it's a matter of love, huh?" The inventor replies with a melancholy smile. "I never experienced such a thing in life, so I can't comment. But then, looking at you, I'm kind of glad I never did."

"Eh?" Falling for Emilia was the best thing that ever happened to me, though. I'm not sure what she's on about.

"Subaru-kun… you do realize that you're crying, right?" Da Vinci points out, and the warm, salty liquid that had dripped into my mouth as I was speaking finally registers.

Huh. So I am.

* * *

Mordred and I leave Da Vinci's workshop around fifteen minutes later. We walk for a while in silence, her face clearly frowning. Finally, I break the silence.

"Sorry, things got a bit heavy there. I'm doing my best to keep my homesickness suppressed, but it occasionally leaks out like that." I say with a wry grin.

"Eh? No, that's fine. I cried after my fight with Father, so it's not like I've got room to judge you." She replies with a shrug. "On that note…" She turns to look at me, face-to-face, with a big smile on her face.

"...Thank you, Natsuki Subaru. Because of your encouragement, I was able to defeat my Father for the first time. Of course, that weirdness with Avalon was also a major factor. Because of you, the fairies accepted me as Arthur's successor. So… thank you." Suddenly, the Crimson Knight of Betrayal kneels in front of me, armor materializing. "If you'll allow someone like me to be your knight, then… My sword is yours. From here, to the depths of hell."

"...That's sort of weird, since I'm a knight myself, you know?" I say, scratching the back of my head.

"Oi, don't ruin the moment, you bastard!" She laughs.

"Sorry, sorry… Well, I've already said it, but I'm glad to have you on the team, Mordred." I say, grinning. "Welcome to the Emilia Faction of the Lugnica Royal Selection, I guess. Oh, and Chaldea too. That whole 'save the world' thing is still going on, so we should probably focus on that for now."

"I'm taking that as a promise to bring me to that other world along with you, ya know?" She says, standing back up and dematerializing her armor.

"Please, we're chronically short on firepower back home. Bringing whoever's willing to come is a matter of course." I point out. "...By the way, not to kill the moment, but are you actually okay with how things turned out with Arthur? I know I'd still be whining about it."

"Nah, I'm still not satisfied. But we're fighting to save the world after all." She says with a chuckle. "He acknowledged me as 'Sir Mordred', and that's progress. I'm sure Father will show up at least three more times after this, so I'll beat it into his head eventually."

"...Are you sure? She said she'd leave the rest to you, you know?" I say with a raised eyebrow.

"Hah! This is King Arthur we're talking about!" Mordred says pridefully. "The same person who, after getting knocked out of a jousting tournament, would sneak back into the tournament grounds wearing increasingly unconvincing disguises all the way into the finals!"

"Don't act like that's something to be proud of!" I yell.

"Isn't it? It was Father's way of showing his subjects that he would never give up fighting for them!" Mordred says, a sparkle in her eye.

"Are you sure she didn't just hate losing!?"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Someone on SB said something about my wildly varied upload timing, so I hit him with the super early chapter for the sake of the joke. My eyes are dry from staying up to late, but it's funny so I'll call this worth it.**

**The Isekai Quartet reference is in no way an implication of any appearance from other Quartet characters. It's just a joke.**

**Also, that tidbit from Mordred at the end isn't canon (as far as we know), but it's so painfully Saber that I couldn't resist throwing it in after I thought of it.**

**Next chapter Wednesday maybe?**

* * *

**Review Responses: **

_Mizen said:_

_Nice chapter as always. Yesterday I was reading Hundred Gauntlets again and suddenly thought "How would Kumagawa fill the role of Last Master of Chaldea?" and wanted to ask your opinion_

**...If it's against Goetia specifically, Kumagawa has a serious advantage, purely in terms of affinity. Because he's such a pathetic existence, the Beast of Pity will never willingly observe him - he's too sickening to look at.**

**Of course, in terms of master ability, he'd be near useless. And realistically, the only way I can think of for Kumagawa to even get involved at Chaldea would be for the author to make him a demi-servant of Angra Mainyu or something. If he doesn't have All Fiction he won't be able to brute force his way in, and if he has it, then his involvement with the incineration would probably end up as something like:**

**Goetia: *incinerates the world***

**Kumagawa: ****「****Alright, let's just erase that! Now, to find this mysterious pyrokinetic assassin!****」 *spends two years searching in vain for the one who killed him.***

_Zennishi said:_

_Say, is it just me or are Merlin and Echidna alike? They're both playful, have no biological capacity for compassion (sociopath or psycopath) yet are still willing to help others. What would an omake between Merlin and Echidna look like? :P_

**Merlin: *Sips tea politely***

**Echidna: "Actually, that tea is more or less a bodily fluid of mine."**

**Merlin: *Sips tea AGGRESSIVELY***

_D. said:_

_But quick question, sorry if you already answered this but I got confused, is the demon that got ripped to shreds by satella, Flauros, is he alive and back at the Temple or no and was replaced by another demon?_

**Flauros died and a new Flauros was born in the Temple of Time, as per its intended function. That being said, for some reason he doesn't remember how his predecessor died...**

_nanox876 said:_

_I know that this is a bit late, but isn't it implied that the Alien God is simply using Beast VII as a host body? Does EMIYA come from an FGO timeline further along, but hasn't reached the point where everything is explained?_

**Unknown at this point. EMIYA Alter knows a few things about beasts due to his nature as a Counter Guardian, and Satella seems to match the description he was provided for Beast Seven.**

_Riniver said:_

_You've somehow sold tge concept of Subaru summoning himself too well. It certainly would be interesting seeing the cast in disbelief at how in the world Mr. Radio Calisthenics managed to become a Heroic Spirit. Also, I never knew anything about Re:Zero before but reading this fic has gotten me interested in it. I'm currently watching the first season and will probably go on from there. Thank you for writing this!_

**My secret plan to increase the size of the Re:Zero fandom and thus hopefully birth more decent fics to read, is slowly progressing! Muahaha!**

_shahmeeralikhokhar said:_

_If you were bring Hanam back and s reading hat he cut of his right arm handicaps him but my question is how much can you break the rules or some way use them to give Hanam a bionic arm?_

**Well, Da Vinci is a genius, so a puppet arm is far from impossible - but whether said arm would turn into a degraded version of Shaytan's is up in the air. Doesn't really matter since Hanam disappeared, but yeah.**

_B said:_

_So what about roswaal what would the servants think of him and his ability_

**Ultimately he's "just" an extremely competent caster with a weird personality quirk. He'd certainly raise a few eyebrows, but he's at least bearable to be around, so he'd get a warmer reception than Petelgeuse and Regulus. **

**Of course, if Mephistopheles is present then things could get weird. **

**Mephi: "He's like the brother I never had!"**


	30. Chapter 29

**29: A bad aftertaste.**

* * *

A bit later, we make our way to the cafeteria. I'm looking forward to finally being able to choose my own food portions - every sandwich brought to my hospital bed has been so short on mayonnaise that I could barely taste it, you know?

The lunch line is pretty empty - we're arriving about an hour late, after all - but there's still enough food for me to get a decent looking plate together.

"Ooh, steamed potatoes." I mutter. "I've got incredibly high standards, so these better be good!"

"Why high standards about the potatoes in particular…?" Mordred deadpans. Incidentally, since we don't have any ways to get supplies from outside, she's not actually allowed to eat anything unless we can solve that problem. "Oi, Master, what's that stuff you're piling onto your plate there? Some kind of yogurt?"

"Hm? Oh, it's mayonnaise." I say as I fill the third of my plate that I'd reserved for it.

"...Eh? Isn't that just supposed to be a condiment, though?" She asks, bewildered.

"Hah! Didn't you know, mayonnaise is one of the main food groups for the Natsuki family!" I answer while we make our way to a table. "Carbs, Fats, Proteins, and Mayonnaise!"

"Of course I didn't know! How the hell would I?" She shoots back, exasperated. "Also, doesn't mayonnaise fall firmly into the fats category!?"

I chuckle as I approach the seat I scoped out - only to pause at an unexpected sight. Slumped over the table, unmoving… is a corpse.

"Ugh…" It moans, shifting slightly.

"Ah! Zombie!" I yell, and Mordred slaps the back of my head.

"Oh… Senpai. And… Mordred." Groans Mash Kyrielight. "Good… afternoon." I stay calm for the few seconds it takes for me to put my food down, and then I quickly move around the table to make sure she's actually okay.

"Mash! Oh god, who did this to you! I'll avenge you, don't worry!" I shout, knowing full well that-

"She's just tired from training." Mordred points out.

"I know, I know." I chuckle. "I'm just re-using an old joke." Well, poor Emilia-tan _did _actually think I had been attacked after my first day of parkour training. But after that, Ram and I picked it up and ran with it for a few days.

'_Barusu has been attacked again - Garf, it's your job to avenge him.' 'I've been defeated… we'll need to sacrifice someone else to appease the parkour course, so you're up, Otto.'_

"Fou!" A high pitched cry interrupts my trip down memory lane at the same moment that a white blur latches onto my face.

"O-oi! I'm happy to see you too, but get off!" I yell at the small critter, who scurries onto my shoulder. Mash gives a tired chuckle in response, and I sit down to start my meal.

"...Bluh. These potatoes are terrible! The rest of the food is good, but these are unforgivable!" I complain. "I'm gonna need to find the cook and give them remedial lessons!"

"Um… Senpai… are the potatoes… that important?" Mash interjects.

"Of course! They're incredibly important - back in the kitchen that I learned to cook in, you weren't even allowed to start learning other dishes before you learned to make steamed potatoes!" I explain, and then I lean forward conspiratorially. "Of course, that was because the only dish Nee-sama could make was steamed potatoes, but if she somehow shows up here, you didn't learn that from me."

"Ah… so you too, are a victim of the Camelot diet." Mordred says with a sigh, patting my shoulder.

"Camelot… diet?" I ask.

"Ah… I just felt a deep-seated terror, for some reason?" Mash says with some visible confusion.

"Potatoes. Carrots. Bread. Vinegar. Ale." Mordred says with dead eyes. "Didn't you know? Those were the five main food groups of the Round Table. In fact, those were the _only_ five foods available in Camelot."

"...Weren't potatoes only brought over from America in the 1500s, though?" Mash points out.

"Ah, you might be right." Mordred mutters, and then pauses, a slightly horrified look on her face. "Then… what the hell was Gawain feeding us, all those years!?"

* * *

Eventually, Mordred wanders off to the training room in order to test her new weapon, leaving me alone with Mash.

"...So, how are you holding up?" I finally ask.

"I'm… fine, mostly. Actually, I've gotten a lot stronger after becoming a Demi-Servant, so I can't complain." She says with a small smile. "Well, the training is a bit harsh, but it's probably necessary. If the Servant lending me their power really is a Knight of the Round Table, then I should be capable of a lot more than this, right?"

"Eh…" I wave my hand in the air a bit as I add another spoonful of under-seasoned potatoes to my mouth. "I feel like for every monster like Mordred or Lancelot, there's a good chance they also had someone useless like me. It's not like martial skill is the only reason to promote someone-"

"No! You're not useless, Senpai! In fact, I'm sure that without you, we never would have-!" She shouts.

"Ah, no, no. You're misunderstanding a bit. I just meant that I'm useless in combat, you know?" I say with a smile. "I'm not a Servant, and my ability with magic is pretty limited, so all I can really do is scheme like crazy and try to gain an edge with cheap tricks. I'm well aware of my niche."

"O-oh. Um, sorry, I jumped to conclusions." She says, blushing.

"Don't worry about it! I know it's painful to hear me trash-talk myself - it's sort of a bad habit of mine that I've been trying to kick." I sigh. "But on the other hand, I'm also the type of guy who gets a big head way too easily… Well, for now, how's this?"

I hold my pinky out to her, and she tilts her head a bit.

"This whole mess is gonna be a big enough problem without the two of us crippled by self-doubt the entire way. So let's make a deal, Mash-tan! Between Master and Servant. Between this surprisingly reliable Senpai and surprisingly reliable Kouhai." I give her a serious look. "From here on out… if I think you're screwing up, I'll tell you. And if you think I'm screwing up, you tell me. And so, unless you tell me I'm failing, I'll believe that I'm meeting your expectations. And unless I tell you that you're failing, you should believe that you're meeting my expectations."

Mash stares at me for a few seconds, wide-eyed. Eventually, I start to withdraw my hand, scratching the back of my head. "Sorry. Was that a bit too much?"

Suddenly, her hand shoots forwards, and her pinky intertwines with mine. Her face is red, and she's not looking at me, but she nods, just a little. "That, um… sounds good. Th-thank you, Senpai-!"

"Right, it's a promise, then. Total honesty, going forwards." I grin. "But, we've gotta prove it to each other, first."

She turns back towards me, confused. "Um, prove it…?"

"That's what I said. A promise like this is no good if we don't follow through with it. So, let's each offer the other some criticism. Because, I'm certain, on some level, we each had complaints about the other in Fuyuki, right?" I explain, nodding.

"R-right." She glances away for a moment. "Um, do you want to go first…?"

"Sure." I breathe in. "Please get a different set of armor!"

"E-eh!? But, um, it came like that! Can I just change it, like that-?" Mash says, red-faced.

"Please do! Seeing you run around with your stomach exposed the whole time, puts way too much stress on my heart, in more ways than one!" I yell. My own status as a hot-blooded male aside, exposed stomachs on the battlefield seem like a recipe that would make that damn intestine-loving pervert from back home a bit too happy!

"R-right! I'll, um, talk to Da Vinci-chan about it!" She says with a polite bow, and then gets up to start walking away.

"Oi. You forgot your part." I say deadpan. "Criticism for me, please. Oh, but please don't make it about my scary-looking eyes or something. I can't do anything about those."

"O-of course not! Senpai's eyes, aren't that scary!" She protests. "Um… well, there is one big thing. That… [Cor Leonis] thing of yours."

"Hm? Right, I only explained it to Roman. Do you want me to tell you-?" I start.

"Please, don't use that power anymore." She says, and I freeze.

I laugh nervously. She's not serious, right? [Cor Leonis] doesn't have the same penalty as [Invisible Providence], and it doesn't even cost mana, so- "You know, that's one of my only useful abilities…"

"Senpai… that ability is..." She looks away from me, not meeting my eyes. "It's scary. It's way too scary. Because… even though I was doing my best to keep you safe, you kept getting hurt! Even though Saber wasn't attacking you, you were still injured! If it wasn't for Avalon, you would have been killed!"

"That… it's not like I enjoy getting hurt, you know? But it's still a useful option - in fact, it's a lot more usable than my other options, so-"

"Senpai... what good is my shield, if I can't even defend you?" Mash says, tears pooling in her eyes.

Ah. That's right. It's not that [Cor Leonis] has no penalty. It was only my own disregard for my safety that made me think like that. It still hurts me to use it. I just wasn't thinking of it in that way, since it feels less arbitrary than the random pain from using [Invisible Providence]. But, there's no way that injuring myself for my allies' sake is something viable long term.

But, even so...

"...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I worried you with it. But, even so…" I say.

She starts to cry. "Senpai, you…!"

Damn it all. I don't want to make a promise I won't keep. I'm supposed to keep my promises. Promises are important, promises are important, promises are important. Emilia-tan already drilled that into my head.

But despite that…

"...Fine. I'll do my very best not to use it going forwards. Not unless it proves absolutely necessary." I say. Even though I know I'll just end up making up my own justification, deciding it's necessary all on my own.

"...Do you promise?" She asks, sniffling.

"...I promise."

The words taste like ashes in my mouth.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Pre-Orleans intermission lasting longer than expected.**

**Subaru's a lying liar who lies.**

**Next chapter should be the last part in Chaldea, probably Monday or earlier.**

* * *

**THE BIG EDIT:**

As of right now (4:27 AM, 30 July 2020), I have just finished a massive edit to all of the chapters up to Ex1.

As a TL;DR, major changes include:

1: Subaru's long loop on earth was only three months, instead of a year and a half. This reduces his maximum time spent on earth prior to chaldea from approximately thirty years to about five (though in actuality, it's probably closer to four, since he died much quicker in a number of mage-related loops).

2: Zelretch's conversation with Subaru in chapter 4 was tweaked.

3: A lot more stuff added to chapter 12, since Mash lost the spotlight too quickly in the initial draft.

4: The Grail was apparently a golden _crystal _in canon, not a cup, so that's been fixed.

* * *

**Someone asked about omakes. So here, have one.**

**Omake: A different loudmouthed blond.**

The leyline site is pretty nondescript. Just down the street from an intersection, a few meters away from the center of one of the many craters pockmarking the ground in this city. There were a few more skeletons wandering around the place, but they're no match for Mash.

"Can't say I've got any experience with summoning rituals like this, so you're going to have to walk me through it," I say.

"Right. Luckily, I was trained to memorize the summoning procedures, so that shouldn't be a problem." Mash replies, and slowly we construct the summoning circle.

"Alright. That should do it. We'll need a catalyst, though… my shield will have to do." Mash mutters to herself, moving to lay down her shield in the center of the circle.

...I've got a bad feeling about this. "Is that a good idea? Your shield is our only weapon after all. We'll be sitting ducks during the summoning ritual."

"You're not wrong, Senpai. But the only enemies we've met so far are skeletons, and I should be able to fend them off with my fists for the five minutes the ritual takes." She replies.

I'm still uneasy, but I nod silently. She puts her shield down, positioning it along several expertly drawn lines in the circle.

"Right. Repeat after me. Let silver and steel be the- what!?" She starts, but she's cut off as the circle flares to life of its own accord.

A high-pitched noise rings out, and I feel a small impact against my throat - a dagger, halted by a field of golden light. I barely see a skeletal figure scurry away into a building. And at the exact same time-

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!"

A roar splits the night air. The cry of an apex predator, turned loose within the concrete jungle of Fuyuki. It resounds, through the burned-out wastes There couldn't be a single soul, in all of Fuyuki, who had not heard his roar. A soul-shaking roar, that ought to have me shaking in my boots. And yet, somehow, in my heart, I'm certain… that everything will be alright. The [Triumphant Roar of the Gorgeous Tiger]-

"[Strongest Shield]."

-echoes through the night.

The light dies down, and he becomes visible. A man, almost seven feet tall, with sharp canines and messy blond hair is standing there. "Heh. Sorry 'bout my amazin' self goin' n' poppn' out 'fore ya finished, but this feels like a [never tell Reid he's early] kinda situation, yeh? Hero like my amazin' self, can't afford ta be late."

"No, considering Reid's personality, that saying's probably supposed to tell you not to call out powerful people for being unreasonable..." I point out reflexively, before my eyes widen. "Wait- Garfiel!?"

"Yep. 'S me, th' one n' only Garfiel Tinsel!" The fully grown man boasts, pointing at himself with a grin. "Herd ya were in trouble, Captain, so I decided ta turn up."

"Wait, wait, aren't you supposed to be just a fifteen-year-old chuuni!? When the hell did you get so big!?"

"Huh? Ain't it cuz my amazin' self is bein' summoned at m' peak? What, yer didn' think my amazin' self wasn' gonna get stronger, did ya?"

"No, it's just, since I've known you since you were a middle schooler, it's weird seeing you as some kind of legendary hero…" I mutter.

"Hey, don' wanna hear that from th' guy who became known as th' 'impossible invincible hero'!" He shoots back.

"I did!? What the hell, that's so cool!" I can't help but yelling.

"Right!?"

* * *

**Class: Foreigner**

Alternate Classes: Shielder, Berserker

True Name: Garfiel Tinsel

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Armament: Shields.

Manifestation Cost: High (Low)

**Bio:**

The "Strongest Shield", Garfiel Tinsel. One of several legendary heroes from the time of Lugnica's Royal Selection - the Gorgeous Tiger who somehow stole the spotlight in later tellings of the Battle of Priestella. A shield-wielding young man, who protects his mom and siblings while spouting cool phrases and drawing upon the power of friendship - in short, he wound up being super popular in stories for kids, so he's got a disproportionate amount of fame.

**Parameters**

Strength: C (A)

Endurance: B (A)

Agility: B (A)

Mana: C (A)

Luck: C

NP: C

**Class Skills:**

Existence Outside the Domain: E-

Magic Resistance: D

Personal Skills:

Battle Continuation: D (A)

**Noble Phantasms:**

**Earth's Blessing: Divine Protection of Earth Spirits**

Rank: A

Type: Anti-Unit (Self)

Range: -

Maximum Targets: 1 person

While Garfiel's feet remain upon the ground, he receives blessings from the Earth Spirits. All Physical Parameters, Mana, and Battle Continuation are ranked up to 'A', and his other Noble Phantasm's effectiveness increases.

Furthermore, this blessing also increases his Magic Resistance to A-rank if the magic in question is Earth-aligned.

**Strongest Shield: Triumphant Roar of the Gorgeous Tiger**

Rank: C

Type: Anti-Army (Self) Noble Phantasm

Range: 1~50

Maximum number of targets: 1~? people

The crystallized legend of Garfiel Tinsel, the Strongest Shield. While he remains conscious, at the cost of continuous mana drain and increased fatigue, all of his allies within range gain resistance to damage from anything weaker than an E-rank Noble Phantasm. In addition, any 'innocent bystanders' within the field of effect also receive protection from Noble Phantasms below C-rank.

Furthermore, while [Earth's Blessing] is active, the resistance for fellow combatants is increased to C-rank, and 'innocent bystanders' are rendered immune to anything short of an A-rank Noble Phantasm.

Incidentally, were Garfiel to be summoned in Priestella or within the Mathers Territory, this Noble Phantasm's range would expand to encompass that entire location.

* * *

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

_Angels-Vanguard said:_

_Hey I dont knoe If you'll be doing any omakes. But I thought it be funny to have one where Kadoc summons Anastasia and she says "... Caster class, definitely not a half elf by the name of Emila-Tan" confusing the hell of Kadoc. Besides that love the story continue the good work._

**Omakes, you say? Sure I'll drop one at the end of this chapter :P**

_Boyzilla said:_

_Meanwhile in Grand Foreigner, Ainz sneezes_

***Weird Isekai Quartet Omake ideas intensify***

_MythMaker258 said:_

_Have you considered using Charlemagne Saber and Karl de GroBe Ruler for the Orleans arc?_

**I wasn't before, but now I am...!**

_Bakuto Masaki said:_

_Was... Was that a reference to the crossover isekai chibi Anime I saw there...? Will there be a big red button appearing in Chaldea?!_

**It was. But that crossover won't be happening outside of omake space.**

_l said:_

_so what about reinhardt what would the servants think of him and his ability . ( oh and on reinhardts divine protection to wish for any divine protection he wants if summoned to fate verse would this ability apply to heroic spirit skills/abilitys , mystic eyes or the status of planet terminal which allows the person with the status like Merem Solomon ability to speak with animals and materialize people's wishes_

**Reinhard would probably end up on pretty good terms with most other Servants, since he's just genuinely a good guy. On the other hand, Mordred would probably find him a bit sketchy.**

**In terms of his power level, it's not that surprising for a high tier heroic spirit, so there wouldn't be _that _many raised eyebrows. In terms of how his divine protection, it'd probably be similar to Da Vinci's [Natural Born Genius], which lets her grab any non-innate personal or class skill for her own use.**

_Slackboy101 said:_

_Will the Events happen? like KnK (Need to watch that) and Dead Heat Summer?_

**Some of them. I've addressed this a couple times before; it's mostly gonna be limited to the more (relatively) serious events, like KnK or Vengeful Demon's Wail.**

_Guest said:_

_Can you clarify on sub's age?_

_Since he died dozen times before the first chapter and save point was in time longer then the year i'm just curious._

_Also if he aquired any relevant skills in that time (since he probably didn't just sit around doing nothing)._

_Thanks_

**That's been retconned as of this chapter; his save point was now around three months prior to the incineration instead of a year and a half. **

**This puts his physical age at close to 18, and his mental age somewhere in the early to mid twenties.**

**In terms of acquired skills... he's got more knowledge of magecraft than one might expect, and knows more than a few big secrets of certain organisations that he really has no business knowing.**

**Also he has an unreasonable amount of knowledge related to theoretical physics, but that probably won't be very relevant.**

_Guest said:_

_How would rem, and others fair as servant._

**Rem is pretty low-tier, as far as servants go. She'd beat most Assassins and Casters in a straight fight, but she'd have a serious fight on her hands against most other Servants.**

**As far as other go... well, for comparison, Garfiel is somewhere on the level of Kintoki if summoned under the right circumstances.**

_Daemon of Wrath said:_

_I have just found this fic today and I absolutely love it!_

**Thanks for the support!**

_It's a shame that the A Team hasn't met Subaru yet, given Wodime's interest in meeting him from this flashback, but at least a lot of things turned out better than before. Olga's alive, Lev(well, his body and mind), are intact. And that episode in Void Space makes me think something from the Re:Zero side of things is taking place._

**You're certainly on the right track...!**

_But it seems like you're already building things for the Remnants and Lostbelts with the allusions to the Gentleman and Wodime's appearance._

**Well, we'll see about how that stuff pans out. *Villainous laughter***

_But please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the brain house the soul in Fate lore? Or is that just a fanon concept from Third Fang's From Fake Dreams? If it's not, then would Lev's soul issue be attributed to brain damage in biological explanations? Or is that a different concept as well?_

**Pretty sure it's fanon. According to the wiki the soul exists on a higher plane, with the body acting as its terminal... but that info is dubious since I haven't checked the citation properly. In any case, in the chaldean model, the Mind/Brain and the Soul are two seperate things.**

_Also, since the first Flauros called Subaru Beast from another world, would that make him an unofficial Beast VIII : Beast of Sins?_

**Nah, he was calling _Satella _a Beast from another world. She wouldn't be numbered by an Earth designation... though for Lugnica, she's probably either Beast VII or Beast IV.**

_Guest said:_

_When will re zero character appear again_

**Next Chapter. And the chapter after that. Subaru's in almost every chapter, you know?**

**...But if you mean the _rest _of the cast, I'm probably gonna keep that a secret for now.**

_Lord Metallex said:_

_Hey Xorn! How exactly will you handle Angra Mainyu? He has the potential to be a Beast. In fact, you can have him invade Re:Zero and build up a dark legion in secret! It could by having an alternate ending of Fate/Zero where Emiya wishes for it to be sent to an another world. The corrupted grail end up in Lugunica and AM is freed. Using the witch cult as pawns and capturing demon beasts to make him more powerful. He would later summon four avengers for his cause._

_Here what his stats could be!_

_*Snip because length*_

**Angra probably won't be showing up much in this story.**

**Of course, that's _this _story. You have my full permission and encouragement to write something of your own! Be the change you want to see in the world! I believe in you!**


	31. Chapter 30

**30: Grand Order**

* * *

Ill-fated promise or not, life goes on. Hours become days, become an entire week before I finally broach the subject to Roman.

"So, just when are we planning on getting to work fixing those singularities?" I ask as we exit the training room following morning calisthenics.

He sighs. "Well, until yesterday we had an excuse not to get to work. But since the first pseudo-generator is complete now, and you're fully healed, we really should start drafting our plan of attack."

"Oh, so they finished that thing already? I thought it was gonna take a lot longer than this!" I reply. "I mean, hooking up the grail in place of an electrical generator seems like the type of thing that would be difficult…"

"Well, the engineers did have to kludge it a bit - but at the end of the day, spending some of the grail's magical output to convert the rest of that output into electricity was apparently pretty simple." He explains.

"Eeeh, so in the end we wished for 'unlimited power' like a bunch of shounen villains, huh?" I joke. "You think Goku will come after us?"

"No, 'Chaldea' isn't the mangled name of something edible, so we're probably fine…" Roman says with a laugh. "Anyway, we should have enough gas to support an additional Servant in combat, assuming it's not someone ludicrously powerful and famous again."

"Oi, you're gonna raise a flag, you know!"

"Relax, relax! If we do summon someone else on Mordred's level, they can just tag in and out. It'll be fine!" He chuckles.

Another thought comes to mind. "By the way, considering the Fuyuki Grail supported seven servants, are you sure that one is our limit?"

The doctor sighs. "Unfortunately, converting between magical energy and electricity is pretty inefficient. If we were designing the system from the ground up with a Holy Grail in mind, we wouldn't have done something like that in the first place, but…"

"...But Chaldea didn't have such an item when it was being built, so most of the tech uses electricity, right?" I conclude. Well, it's a pain, but it can't be helped. It's not like we've got the capacity to redesign the entire facility here and now; not with things the way they are.

"That's exactly right." He confirms, and we walk a few more seconds before he sighs and returns to our first subject. "Well, the power issues aside, the truth remains that we're as ready as we'll ever be to start taking on the new singularities, so I should probably talk to the director about holding a meeting over it."

"...I'll miss you, Doctor. Don't worry, Mash-tan and I will start planning your funeral right away."

"Hey! My odds of surviving are at least eighty percent!"

* * *

Luckily, Roman didn't have his head bitten off, so we were able to meet in the briefing room a few hours later. Incidentally, said room has been largely cleared of rubble thanks to the Servants' efforts - if I hadn't seen it prior, I wouldn't be able to tell there was an explosion here.

Speaking of disasters, I haven't seen the Director since that embarrassing conversation a week ago. Frankly speaking, she looks like hell - dark circles are visible under her bloodshot eyes, and her posture is horribly slumped compared to the proud woman who had stood in this same room not two weeks ago.

Still, as the last of the remaining staff file into the room, she manages to straighten herself up a bit, and the briefing begins.

"As you're all aware, our situation is dire." Olga Marie begins, her voice a little hoarse. "Apart from the people in this building, every last human being on the planet appears to have been incinerated. We've received some response from the Wandering Sea, but that could just be noise… regardless, they aren't in any position to offer us aid. In total, we have thirty-four staff members and three Servants currently alive. Of that number, eleven staff and one Servant are still recovering from injuries. Of the forty-eight master candidates, only one is not stuck in cryo-sleep. All told, we have a near-impossible task in front of us."

She breathes in. "Seven additional Singularities formed in the wake of Singularity F. Each of them dwarfs Fuyuki in scale and severity. Most of them appear to encompass entire nations within their borders. As such, even resolving a single one of these is an effort that may take several months. Furthermore, according to SHEBA's calculations, if things aren't resolved by January of 2017 it will be too late. In short, every member of staff will need to push themselves to their absolute limits in order for us to even stand a chance."

She draws another breath in, straightening her back to her full height, and thrusts her hand forward. "But, even so! Even so, Chaldea shall fulfil its purpose! We will restore the Human Order's existence! For the sake of all life on the planet, past, present and future, we will not let these so-called 'Demon Gods' fulfil their objective! The mission title [First Order], used for the Fuyuki Singularity, is hereby scrapped. From here on out, Chaldea's mission shall be titled [Grand Order]! In the name of the magical world's highest order, we will reclaim our future!"

* * *

One thing leads to another, and pretty soon I find myself being led to one of those damn [Coffins] again. Don't think about being cut in half, don't think about what would have happened if you'd been frozen in the first loop, don't think about all the things that could go wrong!

"You look pretty uncomfortable, Subaru-kun." Says Roman with a small smile.

"Of course I'm uncomfortable!" I yell. "Who the hell names a life-support system a 'coffin', huh!? Not to mention, everyone who was in one at the start of the last Singularity is a popsicle right now!"

"Yeah, the naming of these things is a bit weird, but I promise, they're perfectly safe! In fact, the whole purpose of the coffin is to prevent Masters from getting sucked somewhere else during the rayshift. If you'd been in one of these to start with, Archer probably wouldn't have been able to suck you into his Reality Marble, you know?" The doctor replies, and I feel another spark of loathing towards Flauros ignite in my heart. That bastard, even after Cu killed him he didn't stop causing problems for me, huh?

"Hurry up and let me in! Hey, how do you open this?" I say, running to the anti-ambush device and prompting a chuckle.

He shows me a button on the side, and I climb into the cockpit-like construction. As I confirm the presence of an emergency release switch, the glass in front of me closes, and the Director's face pops up on a mounted screen.

"As I said before, there are seven singularities - for this mission, we'll be rayshifting you to the one with the least fluctuation compared to the others. Hopefully, this means it'll be the least difficult to deal with, but obviously we've got no way of knowing that for sure." Olga explains. "For the record, this one seems to be in France, A.D. 1431 - just after the death of Jeanne d'Arc. It's encompassing the whole country, so this one may take a while to wrap up."

An entire country in the same state as Fuyuki? I sure hope we find someone who knows what's going on fast, or I'm gonna die of smoke inhalation...

"As before, your objective is to cripple the Holy Grail - or whatever other weird trick they've got propping up the Singularity - by any means necessary. Of course, since there's no way to be certain of where our target is, you're going to have an awful lot of leeway, but for our first goal, I'm ordering you to locate a leyline."

Crap. "Are we gonna be having communication problems again?" I ask, cringing.

"No, all our signs are suggesting that comms will be stable. However, establishing a magic circle will allow us to transfer supplies back and forth from the Singularity - allowing us to supply you with any needed supplies." She replies with a small smile. "Furthermore, it'll let us call up another Servant to help deal with whatever opposition you face there."

"Speaking of that, why aren't we just summoning em' now? Do we not have enough power?" Mordred's voice emanates from the speakers. So there's an audio link between coffins, huh? That's useful.

"Summoning on-site gives us some distinct advantages. Firstly, it'll give us better odds of summoning someone tied to the location. If we can get someone like Charlemagne or Napoleon to show up, that might just end the singularity on the spot. Secondly, it'll make it easier for the planet to pull strings in our favor - it probably wasn't a coincidence that Mordred was summoned in a Singularity where Arthur was the main opponent." The Director says, nodding to herself. "Lastly, it'll make sure we get someone who _can _enter the Singularity properly. We've confirmed that neither of our current servants will have trouble rayshifting there, but if we were to summon, say, King Charles VII, who should be alive in that era, we'd be unable to send him along with you. Worst case, we could summon someone who's been manifested as an enemy servant within the singularity, and the Chaldean version could end up being overwritten by a servant who wants you all dead."

...Yeah, I could see how that would be a bit of a disaster. Well, it'll probably be fine - after all, considering how big France is, we'll probably have plenty of time to hunt down a leyline before enemies can find us.

Wait, did I just raise a flag…?

"All three of you - good luck, and don't die. We're counting on you. Humanity, is counting on you." She says, and draws herself up to her full height. "Begin rayshift! Grand Order… commence!"

And the world melts into a tunnel of blue light.

* * *

The tunnel of light dissipates. For an instant, I stumble as my feet impact something solid, vegetation crunching gently beneath my feet-!

"...therefore, there is no end to this world's madness!" a voice shouts, tinged with glee.

-and then, the ground gives way, and I barely have time to fill my lungs with air as my body is swallowed up by an endless expanse of deep black water.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Those who have read Fate/Strange Fake, please join me in a familiar shout of exasperation that will probably become a running theme in Orleans.**  
**Prelatiiiiiii!**

**Anyway, sorry for the lateness. I'll try to have the next one out before Saturday.**

* * *

**Reviews:**

_orion399 said:_

_Since Mordred seems to be sticking around without her Clarent, what do you think will happen when Chaldea eventually goes to the London singularity?_

**Not sure. But something like "Hey, gimme your Clarent. Mine broke." isn't off the table.**

_Guest said:_

_Will car not participate in losbelt._

**Undecided. It's a long way off, so I've got time.**

_When will you update?_

**Right. Hugging. Now.**

_Is it possible for wrath or pride car kun to be summoned even though that's unlikely?_

**Possible. But unlikely, for now.**

_When will re zero characters appear? I mean there was maybe a cameo, but unsure._

**Subaru's in almost every chapter, you know? (I'm dodging this question on purpose)**

_Reinhard should be above berserker as a servent, but I'm confused, about which class Reinhard? His dp being something like Da Vinci makes tons of sense._

**He can only be summoned as Foreigner on Earth. In the other world, he'd be a saber, and he'd be a lot stronger than on Earth.**

**In any case, yeah, he surpasses Berserker!Herc, but Heracles has the possibility of surpassing his own legend and overcoming Reinhard. He's a hero, after all.**

_Tazzmania said:_

_Hey sir great chapter and that omake is pretty awesome and glad that in that omake Subaru summoned garfiel. hope for more omakes like this and what if Subaru summoned reinhard ohhh boy power creep lol. So you already watched the new fgo opening? And if you know ORT aka the type mercury how would it fare in the re zero world can anyone beat ORT? And what will be their reactions to ORT? Anyways great story and keep up the good work_

**Reinhard won't be appearing in this story until Subaru's return to Lugnica.**

**As for the ORT, I won't comment on that thing. We really don't know enough about it for me to have a developed opinion yet. Hell, it's worth noting that in the actual material on it, it's listed as "ORT - Type Mercury(?)" so there's a decent chance that it's not even Mercury's TYPE. Pretty sure that in Olympus the Alien God implies it's actually from the Oort Cloud, which is nifty.**

_Sonicdude8 said:_

_Now that I think about it, would Subaru's constant dying and resetting during the Singularities have some negative effect on the restoration of the Human Order? I mean, I can sort of see something like a new sub-singularity, or remnant, or something being made due to that. Perhaps one where not only Subaru, but also the enemy Servants remember the alternate timeline where he dies. It would be interesting to see how Subaru's greatest trump card is rendered nearly useless there._

**Any plans I have for such a thing are _very _secret right now.**

_shahmeeralikhokhar said:_

_Will Hassan be brought back seeing that it was mentioned he can be summoned again but him being an alter_

_So what I was thinking can't you give him a new arm?_

_A bionic arm_

_Like how you modified Mordreds sword you could technically by twisting the rules can do that._

_Think about it from Cursed Arm Hassan to Steam Punk Hassan!_

_But if you are not interested that's okay as well._

_Please respond kindly. Thank you_

**Probably not... but, well, it's possible I guess.**

_Mizen said:_

_Nice chapter as always. How would you create a Medaka Servant?_

**I wouldn't.**

**In all seriousness, it'd have to get real weird, and I don't really wanna think about it right now...**

_Daemon of Wrath said:_

_And question, is it possible for Subaru's Cor Leonis to have him take on Ophelia's Connection with Surtr in the Lostbelts? Or is it at least possible for him to form a connection with Surtr like he did with Flauros to sever the connection to Ophelia so she wouldn't have to destroy her Mystic Eye, thus her life?_

**Surtr's more nasty than Flauros... frankly, he'd probably end up _very _on fire.**

_Speaking of which, wouldn't Ophelia's Mystic Eye see the different possibilities when the bombing took place and find the best way out of that disaster since Subaru shifted some things? Or was it still extremely bad to the point nothing changed?_

**Nah, she'd still be stuck in the coffin, so she's outta luck.**

_Because I think Subaru could've been good friends with the members of A-Team(probably not Beryl due to his character...Daybit is a maybe...maybe Subaru would be at least amiable terms with Hinako). Sad that we won't see it...unless you have something planned._

**That's a secret.**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_Say, last chapter Mordred said something about coming with Barusu back to Lugnica. Is that even posible? If so, will he take other Servants with him? 'Cause that would be an interesting consept for a Fanfiction._

**Spoilers.**

_Also, on a different note, is Dantes able to be summoned by Barusu? Is any other Extra Class Servant able?_

**Yes. In fact, Dantes, Kintoki, and Mordred were the three SSR candidates for Subaru's first servant (the others being three-star or lower). As for other extra classes... well, Petelgeuse and co. are all foreigners and have pretty good odds of turning up.**

_H said:_

_How would the servants react to roswaals spell to possess the bodies of his descendants/blood relatives which he used to live for 400 years possessing his son grandson etc and the roswaal they meet would be roswaal from re zero world coming to Chaldea as the real him not a servant_

**"What, you too?" -Prelati**

**"Euch." -Everyone else, pretty much.**

_X said:_

_Why does mordred view Reinhard as sketchy And how would the servants react to reid_

**What's up with the single-letter names...?**

**Anyway, sketchy was maybe the wrong word... basically, he reminds her of some annoying people.**

**Reid is a secret for now.**

_Fate said:_

_As a red haired dude named Reinhard fan, he is Gil level in re zero with their Gil, and satella summoned as c or b, where gil becomes a useless servent with his legend not bond, and top teir among top teir in fate. The dragon is beyond servent like fafnir, but with high divinity. Subaru all version qualifies as caster, avenger, beast, berserker, foreigner with lust and sloth being not, wait lust would be pe*****, s, the lust ones too op. Sword saints are are arturia leve, cough sorry. The dude who made karagari is like the first Chinese emperor, or the best rider the one called king of conquerereeeee, Betelgeuse is Gilles, Gil is the tiny king, sekhemet is a berserker with ex strength thank her witch factors. Julius is at best Lancelot though I highly doubt that. All archbishops are top and high servent. Zerest would be interesting. The demon Williams is high servent or Kintoki level along with Garfiel. The first king of lug, is don't know and not sure. The strongest of kar, and vol are both top tier, so is Emilia tan who has puck as a noble phantasm, and so is ekidnut, echidnut, echidna is actually fem merlin. So Subaru is Zhuge l., sword saints are Kar(the winter king might fit this), Musashi, arturia, Gawain etc. I sacrificed myself with the number thirteen. So praise me._

**That's one hell of a wall of text... Is your enter key broken or something?**

**Well, I don't have _that _many problems with what you're saying, though it's all really confusing. Worth noting that in a lot of cases servants can differ from their living counterparts; Reinhard actually loses to Reid if both are summoned as servants, but not if both are alive (thanks to the way mystery works).**

**Similarly, some archbishops may get nastier as servants than they were when alive.**

_Fat again said:_

_Well sorry for all that, it was cause of boredom to be honest. The advice I would give is to not burn out(maybe keep ideas and see the direction they would go by making a short one page draft), learn a few more vocabulary, I hope that you did not break your arms, or get stitches like I do in the past(that was scary, I did not even look at it). I don't think you need to be more descriptive, but rather spare._

**Hm, yeah, vocab is kind of a problem for me nowadays. I used to be a bit more varied but by this point high school me who knew hundreds of weird words is long gone. Also this started as writing tips and somehow morphed into advice not to break my arms, which was a bit weird...**

_Rambukala said:_

_why..._

_why did you put a "what if" summoned servant scenario in my head..._

**I was the true villain all along. Just who do you think was behind the incineration of humanity in this fic!? It was me! The writer! (lol)**

_oh god..._

_how will other peps back in Chaldea react to Vanir..._

**They won't. Because he's not canon. There's absolutely no possibility of this turning into an isekai quartet fic.**

**NONE!**

_SoftItalics said:_

_Subaru! Save Wodime!_

**Too late. Wodime is a popsicle. (for now)**

_And Nasu-Speedwagon_

**Too late. Lev is a husk. (for now)**

_Lostbelt 6 draws closer. Its Depth Rank is EX; Olympus' Rank was A... What the hell do you think we'll see?_

**Eternal camelot probably... though as for what form that takes... I hope they have spaceships. I really want it to be a silly space setting where MHX suddenly has plot relevance or something ridiculous like that.**


	32. Chapter 31

**31: Hunting Ground of the Alien Sea Monster - Orleans**

* * *

Dark water envelops me as I tumble head over heels in a crashing swirl of water. Salty liquid fills my nose, and I barely manage to stop myself from coughing out all of my air supply. Finally, I manage to slow my frantic spinning, and the brine burns my eyes as I begin to look around. I can't see either of my companions, and my frantic telepathic shouts don't reach them - but they're Servants, so they should be fine, right? Worst case I can summon them with Command Spells, if I can just reach the surface - but what direction is up!? As the tumultuous ocean I've been dumped into tosses me to and fro, I desperately search for anything I can use to get my bearings-!

There. I squint as green light sears my irises. The sun, colored by the seawater between myself and the surface. Closing my eyes tight, I swim frantically towards the surface, in spite of the roiling current tossing me about.

My muscles hurt - stiff shoulders cramping up as I paddle forward, legs aching as I kick. And slowly, painfully, until I just can't take it anymore, my lungs burn as though someone had dropped hot coals in them. I'm going to die. I'm seriously gonna die. I'm probably drowning, I'm definitely drowning, because I'm drowning-!

My eyes shoot open as I shake off a bubbling sense of darkness in my gut. The light is close now, dazzling my eyes, and for just a second, hope rises in my gut. And then my eyes adjust to the light, and any hope I had of survival is snatched away.

It's not the sun. It's not the sun at all.

It's a monster. A formless mass of teeth and scales and eyes and feathers and tentacles and arms and legs and fins and wings, all bubbling and ever changing around one distinct centerpoint - a glowing green emblem, with a geometry vaguely reminiscent of a cross, or perhaps a sword. Carved upon an unchanging set of gray scales, far too uniform to match the rest of the creature.

That was what had deceived me. That light, acting like the lure of an anglerfish, had drawn me in, and now…

A few of its eyes train their sight upon me, though it doesn't last long, with each of those eyes popping like a soap bubble or splitting open into another mouth or turning inside-out to unfurl a flower-like radial cluster of tentacles. But it sees me. I know it sees me, and I can see it, and it can see me, and I can feel my brain boiling in my skull as this strange creature's image crawls into my eyes and pours hot coals into the space behind them.

I scream. I scream in terror, pain, and joy as I turn away and start to frantically paddle away from it. How horrifying. How horrifying. What fun. What fun. I can't breathe. I don't need to breathe. I just need to run, and run, and hide, and seek, and play, and die.

The beast squirms and roars and wails and giggles, and the noise makes my bones ache as my body tries to shake itself apart. And then, finally, mercifully, a half-dozen harpoons made of bone skewer my body, tear me to pieces, and drag my back into the gnashing mouths of the alien sea monster.

I see.

I understand.

The world was always thus.

The nautilus spirals endlessly outward. The universe spins and folds. The stars open their eyes.

Ph'nglui, Ph'nglui… The dead god dreams…

The Sunken Spiral Castle rises.

* * *

I scream and gurgle as salt water fills my lungs. My muscles spasm, and my limbs twist uncomfortably in the churning tide of this hellish ocean.

What was that? What was that? What was that what was that what was that?

I died. I'm sure I died.

_With strange aeons, even death may die…_

No, shut up. I shake my head, crushing that squirming spiral before it can take root in my brain again, ignoring the dull pain behind my eyes.

I had to have died, there's no other possibility- but in that case...

Why now? Why have I returned to _now _of all times!? I'm going to drown! Oi, Satella, what are you playing at here?

I'm going to drown. I'm going to drown. I already expended my air supply screaming, so it can't be helped. I don't even know which way is up. But I can see that light, and I know - drowning has to be better than experiencing _that _again.

So I swim, in the opposite direction of the monster, until the dark shapes crawling at the edge of my vision claim me entirely, and everything goes dark.

* * *

-And suddenly, I can breathe again. I'm alive. I'm still alive.

"Fou! Fou, kyu!"

Something licks my cheek, and the darkness slowly recedes.

I wake up to the feeling of scratchy cloth on my skin, the groaning of wood under stress, and the sound of waves. As my eyes slowly open, the flame-lit wooden room I find myself in rocks violently back and forth.

A boat. I'm on a boat. Groaning, I slowly sit up, my stomach churning. To my side, Fou prances happily as I rise.

"Oh, Senpai! You're awake! Thank goodness…" Says a familiar voice from my bedside.

"Y-yo, Mash-tan." I half groan through my pounding headache and churning stomach. "You managed to save me, huh?"

"Eh? Oh, no, that wasn't me, it was-" She scratches her cheek nervously, but interrupts herself. "Oh! Senpai, you need to bring Mordred here with a Command Spell! Right away! Prelati-kun said it takes some time for Servants to drown, but-!"

"S-she's still down in that hell!?" Shit, shit, shit! My first command spell flares to life. "Mordred, teleport into this room!"

In a flash of golden light, the knight appears next to us, coughing and sputtering, with her sword still gripped tightly in both hands. "So you guys... found a way to- gk! -reach the surface, huh? Thanks…kh! ...for the save…"

"'Finding a way to reach the surface' - it's a bit more complicated than that." Says a new face as he enters the room. He's a young boy, with white hair and fancy-looking clothes. I've never met him before, but nonetheless… there's something familiar about him. "Thanks to the unique properties of this ocean-"

My stomach swirls even more than the waves outside. "Uh, can we… delay the explanation a few minutes…? Or rather...c-can someone get me a bucket? ...I'm gonna puke." I say while heroically restraining my seasickness.

* * *

I soon find myself above deck, where an endless expanse of stars shines down on the vessel, providing ample light to see my way around.

The ship is one of those old three-masted things you see in pirate movies. The outer hull is painted black, with a red bottom peeking above the crashing waves every now and then. Of course, there's a very clear reason why I can see the outside of the ship so easily.

"Ugh… why did it... have to be the ocean? Seasickness... has always been a weakness of mine... you know?" I groan in-between dry heaves as I hang my head over the side of the boat. "Ghk… Can we go back to Chaldea… and choose a different singularity…? This one… is no good…"

"Haha! It's good you've still got the spirit to joke around, considering the situation!" The kid from before laughs and pats me on the back. "Here, I'll lend you a hand."

Suddenly, the rocking of the ship stops. All motion ceases, as if I'm standing on dry land. Slowly, the high-speed turbine in my stomach grinds to a halt, and finally I can breathe easily again. "...What?"

"It's a minor illusion, to fool your body into behaving the way it would on land." He says with a smirk and a self-satisfied nod. "I'm not much of a mage, but things like this are well within my wheelhouse, you see."

"...Why didn't you do that earlier? I've been at this for almost an hour, dammit!" I groan.

"Well, it's not like my illusions last forever. It's usually best to let people overcome their weaknesses on their own - because once this wears off, you'll go right back to how you were. Trying to drift through life by lying to yourself is pretty dangerous, right?" He explains, voice full of sincerity. I wonder if he's one of those childish-looking mentor types?

"...Who are you, anyway?"

He smiles and gives a small bow. "Caster class. Francois Prelati, a humble alchemist and cleric, at your service."

"Another Caster, huh…?" I mutter. I was kind of hoping it would be someone useful in a fight… not some priest I've never heard of.

"Prelati, huh…?" There's a sudden burst of movement, and suddenly the boy has been knocked to the ground, with Mordred's sword pointed at his throat. "Too bad for you, the throne gives us information on obscure bastards like you!"

"Wait, wait, Mordred, what's-!?" I start.

"Ahaha… well this was to be expected…" Prelati chuckles with a nervous smile, hands raised. "But, to be clear… I'm not looking to be your enemy, you know? If I wanted to deceive you, I'd have introduced myself as Paraclesus or something."

"Tch. Your intentions have nothing to do with it, bastard!" Mordred yells, and her eyes flick to me. "Master, this guy is the lackey of Gilles de Rais - in fact, by most accounts he's the reason that man went mad in the first place."

Gilles de Rais. We'd been provided info on him during the briefing, since he was alive at this time - a former friend of Jeanne d'Arc, who supposedly went mad later in life, and was convicted of murdering around 140 children in occult rituals. In that case, then…

I nod, and Mordred pushes her sword against Prelati's throat, drawing a trickle of blood. "Any last words, child-killer?"

"Wait, wait, wait! I'm innocent! I'm innocent! I didn't kill anyone!" He screams, waving his hands back and forth. "Gilles and I were exonerated posthumously in 1992! Or, well, Gilles was… I got left out because I wasn't important enough. But anyway! We didn't kill anyone! We were falsely accused, for political gain! Our confessions were extracted through torture, and they didn't find a piece of material evidence! None of that would hold up in a modern court!"

"...Shit, he's not wrong." Mordred mutters, pulling her sword back. "But still, if we want to be safe-!"

"Don't worry, don't worry! I'm not your enemy! I'm an ally of humanity! I've got friends, and family, and things I like to do! I don't want anything to do with incinerating all of human history!" The boy says with a nervous chuckle. "Here, just to prove it, I'll form a contract with you. If you think I'm a traitor, you can use your command spells to make me kill myself."

"...We do need allies." I mutter.

"So you believe me?" He says, relief flooding his face. "Thank goodness…"

"I'm not sure if I believe you. But if you're actually a monster, I'll figure you out eventually. So for now, consider our temporary contract sealed." I say, and my command seals give a pulse of light in response. "Anyway, can you get on with whatever explanation you were going to give earlier? We're supposed to be in France, right? So what the hell is all this?"

The boy sighs. "Well, to answer the last question first… it looks like we've been trapped in a Reality Marble."

"Not again! Oi, Mash, weren't the Coffins meant to prevent this exact situation!?" I yell. Still, that does explain why we can't reach Chaldea, and probably why my telepathy isn't working…

"Sorry, Senpai. The Coffins prevent interference during rayshift, but it looks like someone was waiting at our landing zone this time…" She sighs.

"It doesn't have much to do with the landing zone, unfortunately." Says Prelati. "I'm pretty sure our culprit used a Holy Grail to boost his range - as far as I can tell, this ocean has swallowed the entirety of France."

"Shit…" I mutter. "With how hard it is to get out of that ocean, every person in France has probably already-"

"Nope!" The Caster interjects. "In fact, it's impossible for living humans to drown in this ocean."

"...What?" What the hell is he talking about? I got lucky, but I almost drowned! Why would other people be any different?

"Well, this place is pretty complicated, so let me explain." He says with a smile, and then holds a finger up. "First - any living being that falls into the water and doesn't have a resistance to the effect will be turned into a sea creature until this space collapses."

"But I'm not a fish right now... wait, actually, I've resisted something similar before, haven't I?" I mutter to myself. The Archbishop of Lust's blood hadn't corrupted me the same way it did her other victims.

Prelati's smile widens. "Second - of those that resist the transmutation, only 'dreamers' can reach the surface. That is, if you fall unconscious, and are capable of dreaming, you'll naturally rise to the top. But since Servants can't dream…"

"Mordred sank… got it. So it was less that you rescued me, and more that I happened to float to the surface, huh?" I reply.

"That's right. And, the third and last important detail of this Reality Marble-!" Prelati exclaims, but then a booming voice interrupts him.

"The caster becomes the king of the sea fiends."

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. His prosthetic leg thuds against the deck as he approaches us, descending from the wheelhouse. I can't see him clearly at first, since the only light right now is starlight, but soon he comes into view.

The first sight is a faintly smoldering red line, trailing down the side of his face, down his neck, all the way down his torso to his leg. As though someone had cut him in two and then smelted together the severed pieces.

The next few parts of him to become visible are all the same color - long white hair dancing in the air behind him, and a flowing white beard similarly wind tossed, as though his chin is alight with white fire. And below, a gleaming white ivory peg leg that he stands upon with practiced ease.

And finally, the rest of the man becomes visible - the man who can only be the captain of this ship. His bare, well-tanned chest has a level of muscle on par with Cu Chulainn, and despite his obvious age, he doesn't move with even a little bit of stiffness. Eyes closed, he takes a drag of the pipe in his left hand, and exhales calmly - and then, his eyes open, and for a moment I think I see fire pouring out of them.

"Captain! So you were listening after all! I almost died, you know? You could have said something." Prelati says with a sigh.

"Feh. Thou'rt a slimy type, so I had faith that thou wouldst squirm thy way out in some way or another." The captain scoffs.

"S-slimy!?"

"In any case…" He grumbles, eyes moving over each of our small group in turn. "Ye are the so-called Chaldeans, then?"

"...That's us. Where did you…?" Mash says, slightly shocked.

"From that little squid there." He says, nodding toward Prelati. "I neither know, nor care, where he learned of ye from. But ye had best impress me tomorrow, or I'll throw the lot of ye overboard."

""Tomorrow?"" Mash and I both ask.

"Aye. We'll begin our hunt for the bastard once the sun rises." He grins.

"...The 'king of the sea fiends' you mentioned?" says Mordred.

"Hah! Thou'st hit the nail on the head." He laughs coldly, and flame seems to leak from his eyes once more. "Who else could it be, but she? My eternal foe, the last sea monster. Aye, it'll be she for certain."

"_My white whale."_

* * *

**Class: Avenger**

**Alternate Classes: Rider**

**True Name: Ahab**

**Alignment: Chaotic Evil**

**Armament: Harpoon**

**Manifestation Cost: Medium-Low**

**Bio:**

The Avenger of Herman Melville's magnum opus, _Moby Dick_. A larger-than-life man who forever pursues the beast that took his leg from him, the last of the Phantasmals, Moby Dick. During his hunt, he was deceived by a mysterious man who claimed to be a Zoroastrian prophet, and he was sent to his death when those prophecies aligned.

Of course, he ought to be a purely fictional being. He ought to be. And yet, History says that New England's whalers were terrorized by a white whale named Mocha Dick. And so, if the white whale _did _exist, then perhaps...

**Parameters**

Strength: A

Endurance: A

Agility: E

Mana: D

Luck: E

NP: B

**Class Skills:**

**Avenger: A**

**Riding: - (Suppressed by Voyager of the Storm)**

**Magic Resistance: E**

**Oblivion Correction: B**

**Personal Skills:**

**Battle Continuation: B**

**Determination of Steel: A**

**Voyager of the Storm: C**

**Noble Phantasms:**

**Oh, ye Three Unsurrendered Spires of Mine: Pequod**

Rank: E

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 1~20

Maximum number of targets: 20 people

Captain Ahab's vessel, on which he chased the white whale Moby Dick. Because of his strained relationship with his crew, they cannot manifest even as the faceless specters that show up on the ships of those like Blackbeard and Francis Drake. But still, invisible sailors are present, and will wield their harpoons for their captain. Is this the crystallization of his crew's love for him? Or is it someone else entirely…?

**?**

Rank: B

?

* * *

**A/N:**

**Oh wow the chapter's out before saturday just like I said**

**What, you thought I meant last Saturday? Teehee~!**

**Anyway, a few tidbits for this chapter:**

**0: Since early reviewers seem to be misunderstanding; that wasn't an outer god Subaru met down there. Just a Shoggoth-type creature.**

**1: Prelati and Gilles were quite possibly innocent, historically speaking. Biographics on youtube has a decent video on the subject. Of course, anyone who's seen Fate/Zero or read Fate/Strange Fake is well aware that Prelati is lying through his teeth here.**

**2: Ya boi Ahab is here. He shows up in Strange Fake too, but as a different class, so I'm taking some liberties with his characterization. On that subject:**

**He uses 'thee', 'ye', and 'thou' as his second person pronouns, because that's how Ahab do. I'm pretty certain it's all grammatically correct for now, but if there are any experts on antiquated pronouns reading this, let me know if I make a mistake.**

**Also, Moby Dick is a girl, because Fate. And because Watcher is female and in the shots of her from the Strange Fake Manga she looks like a Whale.**

* * *

**Review responses:**

L33t Horo said:

_amazing work, I thoroughly enjoyed this, I have read it 15 times already and found myself hoping for a new chapter soon, yorokobe author, I have given you my official "great crossover fanfiction to read" seal of approval, I will be making a video on my channel once I finish doing my vtuber avatar, please continue the great work, also... some good servants that would fit with Subaru that I thought of would be: BB, Ereshkigal, Ishtar(provably), Vlad(Extra), Robin hood,Kiara and probably Athur Lancer or Jeanne Alter, though having Raikou would be funny too, oh... and Nightgale XD_

**That's... a lot of readings. I'm glad you like it I guess.**

**...No, I feel like most of those would be a disastrous match for Subaru lol. Unless that's what you meant by 'fit'...**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_I don't think Barusu should summon Reinhard. There is a difference between summoning a powerful Servant and then there is summoning Mister Auto-win. Don't get me wrong, I like him as a character but I think having him will make it too easy. Now, as for Omakes that have Reinhard, I have no problem with them. Let him destroy Tiamat for all I care. #bestbeast_

**Yeah, he's difficult to include and not just make the story a stomp. But Tiamat, best beast? Them's fighting words. (Kama is just too wonderful)**

_Now that you told me that not only our favourite Edgy Count can be summoned but the Golden Man himself as well, my brain trembles. I could just imagine their interactions with Mordred and Barusu._

**Sure wish London wasn't so far away...**

_freeforall546 said:_

_This story is great! what would happen if Subaru summoned satella or one of the other witches as a servant, Ive watched the anime only so I'm not sure on his relationship with all of them is, although satella would probably be kiyohime on crack...now i wanna see it xD_

**Subaru doesn't want to see that. Why are you wishing misfortune upon him!?**

_Kinda hoping that if any other re zero characters appear, its Betty, because i can imagine Betty jealously keeping Subaru from the other servants going, "Subaru is Betty's, he doesn't need other spirits i suppose!"_

**Betty is cute! CUUUUUUTE!**

_Also if Subaru can use his mystic codes to use spells, will he try and learn other spells like minya?_

**He used Minya against Archer in the last Fuyuki Chapter.**

_Guest said:_

_I just binged your fanfic in a single sitting and I really enjoyed it._

**Thanks!**

_Second, I like that you have shown that you are not planning to just have a retread of the Grand Order plot._

**Things are thoroughly off rails by this point lol**

_Third, OLGA LIVED YYYYEEEESSSS. Though this does mean we're probably not going meet Goredolf which is unfortunate._

**Who knooows?**

_And finally, I wanted to ask about why you say Foreigner class is the only possible class for Re:Zero characters. I understand that they are from a different world*. If I remember both Arthur (Prototype) and Musashi (Female) are also from other worlds and aren't foreigners. Plus there is MHX and MHXA. Also Hokusai can be summoned in a saber class as well as foreigner. I just don't think I agree that Re:Zero characters can ONLY be summoned in the foreigner._

_*You do seem to have shown a difference between parallel worlds and whatever Re:Zero's world is so maybe the comparison doesn't work (You might have answered this before and I didn't notice. have only read through the fic once so I might have missed things.)._

**Yeah, Re: Zero world is much more alien than Arthur and Musashi's timelines - they're from worlds derived from _our history_. But the Re: Zero world was at most likely at no point anything like Earth - it seems to just be a single continent floating in space, so yeah.**

_Slackboy101 said:_

_I know I asked this before in PMs... But How would bad would it be for Subaru if BB was summoned?_

**BB would be an absolute disaster - she's likely to actually aggro the witch for real with all the weird stuff she pulls.**

_The Indominator said:_

_Say... What would likely to happen if the Sub decides to invoke Satella in like during or after the Prison Tower Event? Can Dantes Just lmao dogde her with his escapist ability, or is he a goner? Wonderin because The Count becomes a really good mental support/defense bro after the event, and having it ending before it could start or accidentally after is really just sad._

**Well, Satella stops time, so theoretically he can't dodge it... but then, it's Dantes, so anything is possible. In any case, Dantes introduces himself as an ally, so it's unlikely subaru will try to kill him that soon.**

_IHevMelons9 said:_

_I've been binging on Shadennight123 fics since the last update._

_Four fanfics and nearly a million words._

**It seems you're under the mistaken impression that Shade only has four fics. Allow me to point you towards the Sufficient Velocity Forum's User Fiction section, where he is still writing to this day. Lots of it is SI stuff, but Shade's a good writer, so I don't mind it. Would recommend.**

_So much despair, so much coffee and so much delicious suffering and bad endings, makes me wonder just how much of a trainwreck a Rezero Shaden fic would be._

**Shade's a good writer, yeah.**

_Anyways, looking forward to seeing Barusu react to Gilles and Jeanne and their similarity to a certain Half elf tan and obsessed finger biting desu._

**Orleans is gonna be pretty nuts, I'll say that.**

_Alternative Ice said:_

_Hey just binged this story in a day and this is the best rezero crossover fic I've read (not there exists that many to compare it to)._

**(Raising the number of Re:Zero fics is not my secret true goal no sir)**

_I think you've captured Subaru's voice really well and I think you do a good job of coming up with believable and interesting changes to fgo's story **without diverging so much that it goes and becomes a completely different story.**_

**Ahahahaha Orleans is an ocean now (It's just a Reality Marble, we'll return to your regularly scheduled dragon war shortly).**

_Since you're answering questions on compatability, what tm servants do you think the royal selection candidates would be likely to summon?_

**Crusch probably gets Arthur. Felt gets Robin, Billy, or _maybe _Atalanta. Priscilla gets Gil or Ozy. Anastasia gets Sheba. Emilia gets Ereshkigal.**


	33. Chapter 32

**32: The Sunken Spiral Castle**

* * *

'White Whale.' He just said 'White Whale', didn't he?

"Are you freaking kidding me…?" I mumble, massaging my temples with a feeling of total exasperation. Dammit, didn't I already clear this boss!? Hey, Daphne, aren't you embarrassed, causing me this much trouble!? Hey, Gluttony Witch Factor, aren't you showing up a bit too much compared to the supposed big bad that is Envy!? Hey, mabeasts, are you guys seriously upset enough about Flauros's gang beating your collective kill record that you decided to come all the way to Earth and cause problems for me? Hey, White Whale, was getting crushed to death, decapitated, and blown up not enough for you!? You want some more, huh!?

"Ho…? The look on thy face, boy… Thou hast seen her, then?" The Captain says, grinning like his birthday came early.

"I sure hope not." I groan. "If it's the same flying, fog-spewing bastard that I had to deal with a couple years ago, I think I might cry..."

"Flying?" He gives a dry chuckle. "Nay, lad, Moby Dick is a beast of the sea, through and through."

"Um, Senpai, when you say two years ago…?" Mash says.

"Yeah, that was one of the enemies I had to deal with back home. Crap, I feel exhausted just thinking about that thing. I almost died so many times…!" I reply with a shudder. "Whatever this one's like, there's… woah, I almost raised a flag there, so I'm gonna stop!"

"Hmmm~? Are you the superstitious type, Subaru?" Asks Prelati with a dangerous-looking smile.

"Every time I tempt Fate, she rolls her sleeves up and punches my teeth out! So yes, I'm superstitious!" I yell. "Also, did I ever actually tell you my name…?"

"Mash told me while you were unconscious." He says, chuckling smugly to himself. "In any case, what you were going to say… was it, 'there's no possible way this Whale could be worse,' by any chance?"

...

"By the way, Medieval France didn't have laws about beating up kids, right?" I say to Mash as I roll up my sleeves.

"No, they- Senpai, wait!" She yells, hastily grabbing my shoulders and holding me back. "I understand how you feel, but please stop!"

"Wow! What a dangerous Master I've found~!" Prelati laughs.

"Come a little bit closer, you brat, and I'll show you just how dangerous I am!"

* * *

By the time Prelati and I finish playing around, the Captain has long since gotten sick of our antics and returned to the wheelhouse.

"Well, that's to be expected. [Avengers] can be pretty single-minded after all; if it's not about whales, it's basically impossible to get the Captain interested." Prelati says, sighing and shaking his head. He gives a small shrug. "I mean, don't get me wrong, he's pretty fun when sea monsters get involved, but otherwise it's like trying to herd a particularly grumpy cat."

"Ugh, he's an Avenger?" Mordred grumbles. "And here I had him pinned as a Rider… freakin' extra classes. Uh, no offense, Mash."

"Eh? Oh, no, it's fine…" She mutters.

"Another Extra Class, huh…?" I mutter. "What's the deal with that, huh? Aren't those supposed to be rare? And yet, we've met two of them, and we haven't met a Rider class Servant yet. I feel like someone's playing some kind of weird joke on me..."

Prelati giggles. "Don't worry! Illusions aside, I'm not really going out of my way to deceive _you _at the moment."

"Oi, the way you said that is totally suspect! Why the emphasis on me in particular!? What do you mean, 'at the moment'!?" I yell, shaking him by his shoulders.

"Ahahaha!~ Don't worry, don't worry!~" He laughs. "Cross my heart and hope to die, I'm definitely your ally! I am an ally of humanity, and an enemy of the Demon Gods, one hundred percent! After all, at the moment, the prime victim of my deceptions is… this guy!"

He reaches into his left sleeve, and with a squelching pop, he pulls out a squirming _thing_. It looks sort of like a worm, golden-yellow in color, with a gem-like translucent red octahedron set into its surface. Within, a black diamond flicks about - its pupil. It's an eye. The red thing attached to this worm is definitely an eye.

I've seen a similar being - but it was much larger, with round eyes and cross-shaped pupils. And yet, I'm certain that they are the same kind of being. I can feel it. This little worm, is without a doubt-!

"Ta-da! Meet my good friend, Demon God Baal! Go on, introduce yourselves! " Prelati exclaims. Mordred reaches for her weapon, and I back up, pulling at the magic in my mystic code. And then Prelati continues, voice lowered, as his smile takes on a sadistic quality. "Well, he won't be able to respond, though. After all… he's trapped in an illusion right now!~"

"Oh thank god…" I breathe a sigh of relief as weapons are lowered - and then I realize what this means. "...Wait, seriously!? You can do that?"

"Yes, seriously!" He chuckles. "The Demon Gods have no innate magic resistance. Of course, they have the authority to unravel any spell cast by human hands, but that would require him to realize he's under the effect of a spell in the first place, you know? And well… if you fail to remember anything else about the Demon God Pillars, at least remember this: they are _incredibly _prideful. In fact, they'd probably never even consider the possibility that a human could deceive them."

"...And yet, you say you don't have the grail." Mordred points out, eyes narrowed. "Does that mean Baal handed it off to a Servant, like Flauros did in Fuyuki?"

"Mm… Well, it's a bit more complicated than that." The Alchemist says, stroking his chin. "So, to start with, there's meant to be a Demon God overseeing each Singularity, but that doesn't mean that the Demon God has to get directly involved at any point. As long as the Grail isn't removed, the era will continue to be destabilized; fundamentally speaking, it doesn't matter who has the thing. But since you guys managed to knock out Flauros in Fuyuki, the King of the Demon Gods got a bit spooked, and started ordering his minions to keep a closer eye on their singularities."

He laughs. "Of course, that was about when he figured out that Amdusias had somehow completely lost control of his host. So Baal was dispatched in order to get Orleans back on course. Buuuuut…!"

"You intercepted him?" I ask, grinning.

"Hah! Even better! See, after I got executed, people made up a bunch of weird legends that I was an avatar of Beelzebub - a name derived from Baal. So Baal decided to jump into me since I should have been the most suitable host in Medieval France. Unfortunately for him…~"

"Those legends were made up, just like your crimes!" Mash says excitedly.

"Those legends were made up, just like my crimes!~" Prelati affirms with a giggle. "So I was able to shake his control long enough to stick him in an illusion."

I sigh with relief. "So we don't have to take on a Demon Pillar this singularity? That's a bit of a relief. Flauros didn't cause us _that _much trouble in the end, but I think a lot of that came down to him underestimating us. The others probably won't-"

"Nah, they'll probably continue to underestimate us all the way to the finish line! The King of Demon Gods pities Humanity, you see. He views the suffering of humans, their inevitable death, as something completely inexcusable. A flaw in the structure of the world. And so, he wants to painlessly incinerate every human. Because he pities us. It's one big mercy killing, as far as he's concerned." He says. "And so, he'll underestimate us. Because it's quite difficult to feel threatened by something you pity."

"...Is that how that works…?" Mash mutters.

"Yeah." Mordred replies, leaning against the rail and gazing at the waves. "Pity is the most dangerous emotion to have on the battlefield. After all…" She trails off. For a second I think about asking what she's talking about, but looking at her face-

"After all?~" Prelati says.

Mordred says nothing.

"After aaaaalll?~" The boy says, poking Mordred's cheek.

"...After all, pity is what killed King Arthur." She concludes, cringing.

"Oh! I see, I see!" Says the alchemist. He pats Mordred on the back, a big smile on his face, as her shoulders shake. "Well, it's like that, everyone!"

He gives a big thumbs up, and I feel a bit of worry building up in my chest.

"Just think of saving the world from the Demon Gods like you would think of murdering King Arthur!" He concludes, and I can see Mordred's jaw shift as she grinds her teeth. He doesn't notice. I'll need to scold him later.

My eyes widen as he opens his mouth again. He's not done. He's got one knife left to drive into Mordred's heart.

"Oh, but you guys already managed that once, so we're on a pretty good track, wouldn't-?"

"Prelati, _stop helping_." I hiss, grabbing him by the ear. He just grins in response.

"Understood! I will now cease helping!" He says - and suddenly, everything is still. The sound of crashing waves, the salty dampness of the sea breeze, disappears. And then, the world starts to grow darker. What-?

"S-senpai, look at the sky!" Mash yells, and I gaze up to see the thousands of stars painted across the sky rapidly wink out of existence, one after another.

"Oi, Prelati." I mutter, glaring at the Caster. "Quit that."

"Oh, this isn't me." He replies. "Seems like the 'whale' is coming for us! Man, what a coincidence!~"

The boat shudders, creaking, as the smooth obsidian sheet beneath us ripples. Once, twice, three times, the ship rocks.

"She comes! She comes! Ye guests of mine, behold! See, the whale comes!" Shouts the Captain as he races onto the deck as fast as his prosthetic will allow him to move. "Aye, I see thee, thou damned Whale! I'll not use half-measures, this time! Lower the sails! Full speed ahead! I'll dash my ship against thee, thou marble mountain! Aye, let my Pequod be run aground, against thy flesh! Look and see, all ye men and spirits of Earth! Behold, all ye demons of hell! Gaze upon me, oh God in heaven! Observe, the hate and spite boiling my very soul!"

As he speaks, the last of the stars disappears, and only the lanterns hanging on the ship's rail give us any light. And then, a white disk, with a black spot at its center, appears, shedding light on us once more. And another. And another, and another, until the sky is flooded with unblinking eyes.

"Aye, that's right." Avenger mutters. "Witness this, all ye onlookers - as Ahab hunts his whale!"

And finally, in a storm of oily black water and bubbling flesh, the 'whale' breaches the water's surface.

"▬██▁▆█▆▀▬██▆!"

The monster roars, its thousand mouths screeching with the voices of all the animal kingdom, plus a few extra sounds for good measure. Its eyes spasm every which way, with only a few actually locking onto the boat, as dozens of wings - bat, bird, and insect alike - flap uselessly in a vague attempt to get itself aloft. And at the center of its body, a strange green emblem glows ominously.

"That marking…" Mordred mutters in vague recognition, even as the sea monster's cry and visage send my brain twisting and churning with images of a Sunken Spiral Castle.

"Aye, I come for thee, whale!" Cries Ahab as the boat speeds forward, even as blood starts to ooze from his eyes.

"Hey, in what way is that damn thing a whale!?" I protest, looking away from it, and training my eyes on Prelati.

The Caster shrugs. "Well, it's got a few whale bits… Of course, I'm pretty sure that Ahab would identify any sea monster he saw as his so-called 'White Whale'. He's a bit…" He concludes, making a 'this guy's crazy' motion with his finger as I sigh.

I make the mistake of glancing back at the monster, and my brain _trembles_ as searing pain digs into my eyes once more. Far away, I hear myself scream.

"S-senpai!? What happened? Ah, your eyes-!" Mash grabs me, and I blink a few times at her strangely blurry face. What's happening?

Oh. I can't see out of my left eye. Dimly, I reach up to touch it.

Crunch. There's a noise like someone biting into a carrot.

I scream as a sharp pain appears at the final joint of my left index finger. What happened? What just happened? I stare at the finger with my good eye - it's missing. My fingertip is gone, with tooth marks left where it had been. From my blind left eye, I hear a crunching, slurping, chewing noise.

What is this. What is this. What is this what is this what is this-!?

From far away, I hear screaming. Mash's [Lord Chaldeas] manifests, but the storm in my brain churns onwards. The stump of my fingertip bubbles, and spiders crawl out. My left eye continues to bore its way into my skull, chewing at the flesh around its socket.

To my side, I see Prelati fall to the ground, body twisting and bending unnaturally. Him too!? At the Prow, Ahab is still yelling something, even as his skin bubbles and sloughs off in sync with the monster's cries.

Mordred, seemingly unaffected, yells something as red lighting explodes from the [Azoth Longsword], a beam of light lancing out at the monster - but I can't afford to check how much it was damaged.

Think. I need to think! Why!? Why are Mash and Mordred not being affected by this!? What do they have that the rest of us don't!? How are they resisting-?

Wait. Is it seriously that simple!? Is it just their Magic Resistance skills!?

"T-then… let's try this!" I hiss, command spell flaring to life. "[EMT]!"

A ten meter spherical field, centered on me, erupts, and the squirming feeling slowly recedes from within my brain. My left eye smears back into focus, and my hearing returns to normal. Unfortunately, it also disrupts the illusion Prelati placed on me earlier, so my seasickness returns full force.

...The illusion is broken. Shit. Hastily, I grab Prelati, and throw him out of EMT's field of effect. "Prelati! By my command spell, trap Baal in an illusion again!"

He gives me a thumbs up, and gurgles a vague response through the rainbow colored sludge flowing out of his every orifice.

I glance at the monster, and my brain does _not _tremble in response. So that's nice. On the less nice side of things, the squirming beast seems to have been undamaged by Mordred's assault - and Ahab is looking considerably worse off. He clings to the prow, even as his body shudders, fire pouring out of the splintering cracks running across his skin.

"...to the last, I grapple with thee!" He roars, as we glide across the waves, closer and closer to the shapeless monster. "For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!"

The boat shudders as we hit something, grinding and scraping against something beneath the ship's hull - but Ahab retains his grip on the flaming harpoon clasped in his right hand.

"[From Hell's Heart-!"

* * *

And then, without warning, the world shatters into pieces. The sky filled with eyes disappears, replaced by a clear blue sky. The tumultuous black ocean vanishes, replaced by rolling fields of green grass.

And the Alien Sea Monster disappears, replaced by a dragon of approximately the same size.

The Pequod tips to one side, grinding against the ground as it loses momentum, kicking up clods of dirt and grass. And finally, we all tumble out of the ship, with Mordred barely managing to catch me and prevent a rough landing.

"What the devil is this trickery!?" yells Ahab, who suddenly looks a lot less melted, as he lands ahead of us and glares at Prelati. "Alchemist, is this thy work, thou damned squid!?"

"Oof, seems you gave the planet an opening to figure things out, Subaru." Prelati says with a sigh as he lands next to me. "This is gonna get awkward…"

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!" The dragon roars, the green emblem engraved upon its chest burning brightly. And from its jaws, fire without end pours forth.

"Once more, then! [Grand Illusion]!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**This one went a bit long, huh? Also _very _confusing, but that's kind of intentional. Big explanation is next chapter.**

**Prelati doin' Prelati things. What a reliable and trustworthy ally with no sketchy qualities whatsoever.**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

_orion399 said:_

_So, Subaru actually met an outer god? I'm not too well versed on Cthulu mythos. So, I don't know for sure._

**Fafsquid is not an outer god. Just a shoggoth-lookin thing.**

_I'm wondering if this singularity is a part of Solomon's plans or have they been derailed by the reality marble?_

**Things are sorta goin sideways right now for the Demon Gods.**

_SING MY ANGEL SING said:_

_Now with Orleans being eldritched right now, I feel like there is a high possibility of a Foreigner being summoned by Subaru. I know that Hokusai's Outer God is actually trapped in the Sunken Spiral City (I think?) but please, if Subaru will summon a Foreigner, let it be Abby. And hey, if you play the JP version of FGO, this'll be a catalyst for her upcoming Summer version._

**Abby is staying out of it til Salem. She can bring him home because Silver Key shenanigans, so earth would kinda be toast if she got summoned.**

_Also, I thought that Moby Dick was Ahab's NP which he can summon? Or sincelike you saidyou're taking liberties, he's an Avenger and not a Berserker this time around, I'm guessing Moby Dick self-manifests instead of being summoned by Ahab? That'll be kinda cool like, if Avenger Ahab is ever summoned, Moby Dick will self-manifest for him to pour all his hatred on in a Grail War._

**Ahab has not been summoned as a true servant in any official work; he shows up as one of Watcher's shadows in Strange Fake. Moby Dick is _not _one of his NPs, at least not as an Avenger.**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_Ah, yeah, Kama. For some reason I forgot about her. She's great too. Also, London? Doesn't Dantes appear in Shinjuku?_

**Prison Tower event is post London, pre America.**

_So, the Singularities are now different. Now I'm just imagining how hard it will be to fight dragons(wyverns) while on a boat. Barusu doesn't have E rank Luck, he has the same as Dantes. Zero._

**Luckily(?) the dragons are sea monsters inside [Grand Illusion]**

_Also, where is Cu? Didn't you say that he came back with them to Chaldea?_

**Cu's Spirit Origin got damaged, so he has to recover on the back lines for another month or so. See Chapter 25.**

_DemonRaily said:_

_Prelati and Ahab, truly a crew you can feel safe with and depend on. XD Then again simply because they are evil as fuck does not mean that they can't be useful._

**If you wanna kill a sea monster, Ahab's your guy.**

_By the way, what's up with the archbishops of sin and aging? Do they not age at all or is it sun by sin basis?_

**Currently unclear. Regulus and Petelgeuse are at least 100 years old, but Regulus's body is frozen in time, and Geuse is a body-hopping spirit. However, Petelgeuse's body seems to have stayed the same since 100 years ago...**

_Oscar Ye said:_

_Protection from arrows doesn't actually create a barrier or anything you know? All it does is allow Cu to predict trajectories and avoid them._

**It seemed like it made a barrier in the first Heaven's feel movie, or was that literally just the force of Cu stopping moving that blew Hassan's daggers away?**

_Guest said:_

_A question here. Satella summoned Subaru, somewhere not even zelretch can do to an another world. Subaru has kaleidoscope powers because of that. So is satella the strongest beast._

**Re: Zero World isn't on the kaleidoscope, since it's independent of human history. Satella's powerlevel is matchup dependent, as with most things.**


	34. Chapter 33

**33: ...Does Not Exist.**

* * *

The world smears and twists, the ground rolling under my feet as it folds together as though this grassy field has become an Escher painting. My stomach churns a bit, but finally everything comes back into focus and I find myself surrounded by trees, in the center of a sun-dappled clearing. Nearby, I see my two fellow Chaldeans stumble across the carpet of fallen leaves. Ahab and the Dragon are both nowhere to be seen.

Just ahead of me, Prelati spins around, laughing as he plops down on a rock in the clearing's center. "Man, that was pretty close! It was looking like those two were about to gang up on me, so I'm glad we made it out in time!~"

"So we aren't in danger anymore… in that case, how about you explain what the hell just happened!?" I yell in absolute befuddlement.

"Hahaha! Well, you've got to have at least a bit of an idea, right?~ I used-" The Caster starts, only to be cut off when a blue hologram sprouts from my wrist-mounted communicator.

"...Alright, we got through!" Cries Romani Archaman in audible relief. "Thank goodness… Subaru-kun, Mash, are you both alright?"

"Oh, Doctor! I'm not injured, but Senpai-" Mash says.

"I'll be fine." I interject, popping the healing spell embedded in my Mystic Code to seal the skin over my severed fingertip. "Most of that stuff from earlier went away once we exited the Reality Marble. Mordred, you're fine too, right?"

She just nods in response, eyes pointed at the ground as she strokes her chin in thought.

Roman chuckles nervously. "Haha… I didn't ask about her, because I figured she might yell at me if I did. Also, what was that about a Reality Marble?"

"Well, it wasn't a _real _Reality Marble." Prelati explains with a shrug. "Just an imitation that I made with my Noble Phantasm."

"What do you mean, an imitation? Also, who exactly are you?" Roman asks.

"Caster, Francois Prelati." He says with a small bow. "To explain, my [Grand Illusion] allows me to deceive the very texture of the world - so something like folding space to transport us a few miles away is well within my ability. And of course, when it comes to the ocean earlier, I may not have a Reality Marble of my own, but I sure can fool the planet into thinking I've cast one!~"

"And for the purposes of the World Egg theory, that might as well be the same thing… that's pretty clever, actually!" The doctor says.

"Okay, but _why!?_ What reason could you possibly have for creating that hellish ocean!?" I yell. "Or is this when you reveal that you were lying earlier, and that you're working with the Demon Pillars to destroy humanity?"

"No, no, no! I'm your ally, I'm definitely your ally!" He says, voice filled with amusement. "No, I made that fake Reality Marble to help defeat one of the big baddies of this singularity. That Dragon you saw back there-"

"The Evil Dragon, Fafnir… right?" Mordred says. "I met Siegfried in a previous grail war, and he had a similar emblem on his chest."

"That's the one!" Prelati replies with a nod. "Anyway, Captain Ahab has a Noble Phantasm capable of bypassing Fafnir's ridiculous passive defenses and killing him, but I couldn't convince him to use it on anything other than Moby Dick. So I decided to use [Grand Illusion] to turn Fafnir into a sea monster, and let Ahab's insanity take care of the rest… but Subaru went and ruined that. Turns out, even a tiny hole in the illusion is enough for the World to figure out it's being fooled."

"Don't you dare try to blame this on me!" I yell. "Next time, try turning him into something that doesn't melt my brain to look at!"

"Unfortunately, turning him into a whale is no good. In legend, Fafnir was a Dwarf who transformed into a Dragon because of his greed - so no matter what I turn him into, that same transformation will just happen again and he'll become a Dragon." He says, shaking his head. "Basically my only option was to make him into something that would innately foil any attempt to cast it into a proper 'shape' - so I turned him into a Shoggoth."

"S-shoggoth!? But those things… don't exist, right!?" Roman yells.

"Psh. Questions of 'existence' and 'nonexistence' really aren't relevant where things like Heroic Spirits are concerned, you know?" The Caster says, waving off his concern. "I mentioned Captain Ahab earlier, and you didn't question it, but isn't that guy also a fictional character?"

"No, there's some basis for Ahab's existence - or at least, it's likely that there's someone who matches the role he plays in Melville's novel enough to play the part of 'Captain Ahab'." The Doctor replies. "But something like a Shoggoth…!"

"Well at the end of the day, it was just an illusion, so don't worry too much about it!~" Prelati laughs.

"I guess that makes sense…" Roman mutters. "By the way, you introduced yourself as 'Prelati', right? As in the serial killer who drove Gilles de Rais to insanity? _That _Prelati?"

"Ahaha… Well, that trial was a total sham." The boy says. "They just wrote up confessions for us and tortured us until we signed them. Pretty much the same as what happened to Jeanne, right?"

"...That's right. Just a few days before we arrived in this singularity, Jeanne d'Arc was executed for heresy. But, she was later canonized as a saint, while Gilles de Rais and Francoi Prelati went down in history as monsters." Mash says.

"Well, that's to be expected. _She _was falsely accused by an enemy nation. Gilles and I were accused by the state we belonged to. The king could afford to let people show support for someone martyred by allies of the English, but because of the hand his government had in our deaths, any suspicion about our trial was clamped down on pretty hard."

"Mm… I can't say you're wrong." Roman mutters. "But the name Prelati is still pretty infamous in the magical world. I don't know much about her, but apparently she's one of the big players in the American branch of the Mages' Association."

"America, huh…?" I mumble. I investigated America back when I was trying to figure out the cause of [Apocalypse Conflagration], but that was before I learned magic was a thing on Earth. I was going to look into their magic side if the Clock Tower didn't pan out, but… "I never really learned much about their situation."

"I'd love to tell you about it, but it's not really relevant at the moment." The orange-haired man says with a smile. "We'll put a pin in that and come back to it when we start dealing with the American Singularity. For now, we should really focus on the situation in France."

"Good point. I'll try to stay focused for now." I say, nodding. "Prelati, you told us some of what was going on earlier, but considering the whole [Grand Illusion] thing, I'm thinking most of that was a lie, right?"

"Well, a lot of it was true enough at the time. I don't think I lied _all _that much to you, other than my lies about the origin and size of the Reality Marble." He says coyly. "But I'll go ahead and explain the situation here in Orleans."

"Before that, shouldn't we get the Director involved? Where is she, by the way?" Mash says.

"She… kind of passed out after we lost communication with you guys." Roman says, scratching his head. "I figured it was best to let her get what rest she can, since she hasn't been getting much sleep otherwise - so I went ahead and asked some staff members to bring her to her room. I'll be sure to fill her in after she wakes up, so for now just go ahead and fill us in."

I nod, and Prelati begins his explanation.

* * *

"Firstly, as you're all aware, Jeanne d'Arc was executed six days , in this singularity, it seems she returned from the dead to wreak her vengeance upon France - coming back to life and summoning an army of dragons not even three hours after her ashes were scattered on the Seine River." Prelati says. "They've been butchering everyone, man, woman, and child, throughout all of France."

"...That can't be right." Mordred interrupts. "There's no way that woman would do something like that. I met her in the same war that I ran into Siegfried in - I doubt she's even capable of feeling a desire for vengeance. She was that kind of 'saintly' person, after all."

"...Could it be another case like Fuyuki, then?" Roman asks. "A servant being twisted to show their worst side? A desire for vengeance would be understandable…"

"Heh. No, this isn't a case of [Blackening]. Mordred has the right of it. Jeanne was far too insane to have desired vengeance." Prelati replies. "In short, this version of her… well, it's far too tasteful to be a true [Alter]."

"...Tasteful?" I ask. What exactly does he mean by that? What the hell's 'tasteful' about mass murder on this scale?

"Well, you met the corrupted King Arthur in Fuyuki, right? From what I've heard from Baal, she seemed like she had spontaneously become a 'tyrant' at first glance - but knowing Arty, her real motivation had to be along the lines of 'a king doesn't have the luxury to be righteous', or something!~" Prelati says with a grin as Mordred cringes and clenches her fists. "That's how it is for all [Blackened] Servants. If it doesn't break the heart of anyone who loved the original, then it's probably not a real [Alter]."

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" I say with a scowl, glancing at Mordred's shaking shoulders. "I'll sever our contract if you keep this up, so cut it out."

"Sure, sure~." The boy says with an unrepentant smile. "Anyway, the so-called [Dragon Witch] Jeanne d'Arc is probably a fake of some kind - either an artificial spirit origin created with the grail, or some Servant trying to disguise themselves as her."

I flinch at the mention of a [Witch], but the context on Earth is different than back home, so I can ignore it for now.

"Is that possible? Are there actually Servants like that?" I ask.

"Sure! Just among Heroic Spirits from France, Lancelot du Lac, Arsene Lupin, and Fantomas would all be capable of it! ...Although, I don't actually know if that last one is on the Throne or not." He replies.

"...So it's actually pretty common, huh?" I say.

"I wouldn't call it _common, _but there are enough Servants capable of pulling it off that speculation is kinda pointless for now." He shrugs. "But, getting us back on track, the Dragon Witch summoned up a bunch of wyverns and the Evil Dragon Fafnir, and they've been running around butchering the populace ever since. I'm pretty sure she's also got some other Servants working for her, though I don't know how much control she actually has over their actions…"

"More Servants? Well, that's to be expected if they're using a Grail, I guess." Romani says. "Do you know who they are?"

"Hm… Well, the Lancer has been telling anyone who will listen that he's Dracula-"

"...The hell's with all these familiar faces from Trifas turning up…?" Mordred mutters.

"...And one of the other Servants on humanity's side spotted the Tarrasque running around with a woman on its back, so-" He concludes.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!" Something snarls from deeper into the woods. In the distance, the sounds of trees smashing apart and collapsing grow closer.

"Oh, there he is now." Prelati says as-

"[Lord Chaldeas]!"

-a wildly spinning spiked shell rockets into the chalk wall with the force of a supersonic missile, grinding against it like a ridiculous reptilian buzzsaw.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Not super satisfied with this chapter, but it's been over a week. Fuck it, let's do it.**

**Making infodumps entertaining is hard work. Hopefully this'll take care of that part for at least a little bit...**

* * *

**It's late and I'm tired, so review responses are a problem for future Xorn.**


	35. Chapter 34

**A/N: This chapter contains spoilers for major plot points of Re:Zero's sixth arc. If you're this far in the fic and still worried about things like that, and aren't caught up with the translation, this is your final warning. I will not be giving any such warnings in future chapters. This is, as they say, the point of no return.**

**Anyway, on with the show.**

**34: With friends like these…**

* * *

The forest surrounding us ignites almost instantly as flames and lightning spew from the massive turtle-dragon's shell. Rebounding off of the marble wall of [Lord Chaldeas], the Tarrasque spins across the forest floor, six legs erupting from its shell and transforming the surrounding terrain into a tornado of dirt, stone, and uprooted trees.

"Oi, oi… You've got to be kidding me here. Lugnica would be one thing, but something like this exists on Earth…? You're kidding, right?" I mutter in disbelief.

The Tarrasque's claws smash into the ground in a blur of motion I can barely track, and the earth cracks and fissures, forming a rippling shockwave that passes beneath Mash's shield. A geyser of dirt and stone erupts under her, sending her tumbling through the air with a cry.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!" It roars, and shoots towards the airborne girl in another cyclone of spiked iron scales and fire-!

"As if I'd let you!" Mordred yells, her armored foot crashing into the beast in the opposite angle of its whirling motion with a burst of red lightning. I hear the now-familiar sound of tearing metal as the Dragon shreds through her boot, and see a spray of blood as everything below her right knee is reduced to a meaty pulp - but with the aid of the pre-built [Emergency Reinforcement] spell from my Mystic Code, she halts its spin for just a moment.

A moment is all we need. Ducking under a gout of flame and the swipe of its claw, Mordred grabs the beast by its shell with both hands, pivoting on her still intact left leg- "Master!" She yells.

"I'm on it!" I yell, tearing the final reserve of energy from within my Mystic Code. "[Murak]!"

[Murak] is a spell that I wasn't sure I'd be able to cast without Beako's help - but it turned out to be much easier to manage than our three custom spells. Simply put, it's another curse like Shamak, but while Shamak strips the target's senses, Murak strips them of their weight. It's useful when cast on allies or enemies, so there was quite a bit of practicing with it during our week on standby at Chaldea.

A small bolt of purple-black energy lances from my hand towards the Tarrasque. It's met in midair by a mote of golden light from Prelati's outstretched finger, and triples in size before impacting and rippling across the creature's shell. "Riders have Magic Resistance, so I'll have to lend you a hand!" the boy yells.

And then, Mordred hefts the Tarrasque into the air, and hurls it through the burning canopy. Flames and lightning shoot out of the shell in a vain attempt to correct its motion, but-!

"[Azoth... Blood Arthur]!"

\- a stream of crimson light crashes into the Dragon, sending it sailing off into the clear blue sky.

"Woah, look at him go! So that was an anti-gravity spell, huh? Hey, I bet NASA would pay out the nose for something like that." Prelati laughs, but I ignore him, instead running over to Mordred to expend what remains of the [Emergency First Aid] spell in my Mystic Code, sealing her leg wound-

"Look out!" she yells, grabbing my shirt and tossing me out of the proximity of a sudden explosion of white energy.

"Thanks for the save-!" I say.

"Senpai, behind me!" Mash yells, her shield slamming into the ground between me and another magical explosion.

Within the burning forest, I catch a glance of a purple-haired woman with an angry face charging towards us, a cross-shaped spear-staff clutched in her hands, emitting another pulse of light.

She swings the weapon, and twinkling motes of energy appear in the air of the clearing, ready to explode-!

"You're wide open, idiot!" Roars Mordred, and with a burst of red lightning the Azoth Longsword is hurled through the air, cleanly punching through the woman's chest.

The lights hanging in the air twinkle and die out, as she stumbles forwards one, two, three steps, and collapses to her knees. As blood drips from her mouth, a serene smile takes shape on her face, and she mutters final words that I'm some thirty meters too far away to hear - before finally dissolving into a cloud of golden dust.

"...Wow! Really nice work, Mordred!" Prelati says with a nervous laugh. "That's Saint Martha down for the count."

I let out a breath I didn't notice I'd been holding. "Do we get a bit of a break, then?"

"Pssh. As if. Not that it wasn't ingenious, but that stunt you guys pulled with the Tarrasque damaged the illusion I put above the forest." The Caster replies. "We've got about five minutes before I run out of gas, and then we'll be up to our armpits in Wyverns."

"I'm confirming his analysis!" Doctor Roman interjects through the holographic link. "I'm reading upwards of forty low-strength draconic energy signatures headed towards you - and an additional high-level spirit origin! Evil Dragon Fafnir is approaching, about ten minutes out at his current pace!"

"Shit… That old man barely even slowed him down, huh?" Mordred mutters with a sigh. "Alright then. I've still got a bit of mana left over, so hand me my sword and then start running. I'll do my best to slow them down, so-"

"Not happening." I reply. "I've got no intent of leaving friends to die, so we'll just have to fight them all off and hope that someone comes to bail us out."

"Or… we could always take matters into our own hands and summon someone to help us!~" Prelati says with a wink.

"Um… Chaldea's summoning system needs a leyline, and the nearest one is…" Mash's eyes widen. "...Right here! Prelati-kun, you were able to transport us with that level of precision!?"

"Haha! Go on, praise me more! Praise me more!" He gloats. "Oh, but before that, you should see about turning that wall of yours into a ceiling, because my illusion's about to give out, and then it'll be raining discount dinosaurs for the next forty days and forty nights. I'll handle the summoning circle, so don't worry about that!"

"Uh, don't we need a catalyst, though…?" I mutter as he hastily draws a circle in the dirt. "If I use my body as the catalyst, someone nasty will probably show up, no two ways about it."

"It's fine, it's fine!" The alchemist reassures me as he draws an eye in the center of his poorly aligned pentagram. "We've got the planet pulling in our favor, and France itself to serve as the catalyst! There's no possible way someone who'd actively hinder us from saving the world could show up right now!"

"Oi, these lines aren't even straight! If we're counting on this to help us survive, isn't half-assing it like this a problem!?" I say, pointing at his poorly drawn magic circle.

The Caster grins and snaps his fingers, and the circle suddenly changes shape to a much more complex affair full of straight lines. "Ta-da! A high quality, high speed magic circle! Just have to draw a basic circle and illusion the rest into place."

"...I thought you said you were low on mana." I deadpan.

And then the light vanishes from the sky, blotted out by a curtain of leather-winged serpents.

"...Goddammit, Prelati!"

"Just hurry up and repeat after me!" The boy yells frantically as the white wall of [Lord Chaldeas] interposes itself between us and the sky. "_Let silver and steel be the essence! Let stone and the Archduke of contracts be the foundation! The ancestor is mother Atë!_"

Impact after impact begins to shake the wall protecting us, and I repeat his words.

* * *

"_Return from the stars, to serve this world! And though your eyes are locked upon dreamlands beyond, You shall be bound to the Earth! I shall speak for humanity!_" I yell as Mordred jumps using her good leg and impales a wyvern that had made it around the wall to the ground a few feet from me.

"Time's up, you know the rest!" Prelati yells, intercepting another wyvern with a flying tackle.

I open my mouth to tell him that I do _not_, in fact, know the rest - but what tumbles from my mouth instead are the last two lines, coming out of my mouth all on their own.

"_From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power! Come forth from the ring of restraint, O Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!_"

And blackish-purple light pours forth from the Magic Circle as a form takes shape.

"...Fuck." I blurt out as I start to make out his appearance.

Green robes, greasy brown hair tied back in a braid, and sickly green eyes. A young boy, about the same size and age as Prelati.

There's no possible way someone who'd actively hinder us from saving the world could show up right now - Prelati said that. Prelati said that, and yet-!

The eldest Sin Archbishop of Gluttony gives a sharp-toothed smile. "[Foreigner]-class, Roy Alphard-!"

I'm out of command spells. I'm going to die, if I'm _lucky_! How is he even here!?

-And then, Roy blinks, face suddenly shifting into a scowl. "No, that ain't right, you. The hell's with that name and class, you?"

My eyes widen even further at his words. It can't be. "Are you freaking kidding me...!?"

His body twists and distorts, a crimson kimono replacing the robe as he grows several feet in size. His hair takes on the appearance of a curtain of fire pouring from his scalp, as his eyes change to blue as bright as the sky. "There it is. That's the right shape. And for that 'name and class' stuff, well, you oughtta know _that_ by now, young fish."

Yeah. I know. I know this man, for sure. The leftover [Memories] of a dead man, conjured up into human shape by the Pleiades Watchtower, and devoured by Roy Alphard. And yet, despite being Gluttony's natural prey, despite not even being properly _alive _at the time… those memories overwhelmed Roy's existence and swallowed him in his entirety.

It wasn't surprising, though, since it was someone like _him_. He was the legendary hero of Lugnica, after all. The strongest legend of that world, if not the strongest existence within it.

"[Sword Saint]... Reid Astrea." I mutter.

"Oi, I already told you. Don't need titles like that, you. I'm just a [Stick Swinger]." He replies, rolling his eyes.

I should be terrified. I should be running for my life. This man has killed me a few more times than I'd care to admit, after all. And yet, seeing him standing there…

_Why do I feel such a sense of relief?_

"Senpai… I…!" Mash yells, drawing my attention to her - legs and arms shaking as dragon after dragon slams into [Lord Chaldeas].

"Oh, good outfit, you! I like that a lot, you!" Reid calls out with a grin, swaggering up to Mash. "Ah... drop the wall for now, you. Don't need somethin' like a shield."

"E-eh?" She asks, the strained look on her face replaced with a confused one - and as her focus slips, the wall vanishes, and a seemingly endless tide of winged serpents surges towards us.

Facing the dragons, Sword Saint Reid laughs, and draws his blade.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Orleans is Dragon-slayer party town, so Reid is here now. Surprise!**

* * *

**Review responses:**

Undying Soul98 said:

Hi - first off, good job so far with this fic. You aren't getting too bogged down with the little details, and that's gonna be important for a fic like this. Momentum can be a killer for writing - this fic is a marathon, not a sprint, and with so many Singularities to go, just worry about reaching the finish line. Even if its not perfect, sometimes just reaching the finish line is enough (to me as a writer unable to freakin' finish anything, at least).

**Momentum is haaaaard.**

So. Content itself. The Subaru POV is handled well, I like the Chaldean characters in general (and explanations for how not to overflow the character list). I also like your handling of divergence. Prelati getting up and doing shit was a fun way to throw a curveball into the Singularity without utterly destroying it. Admittedly I would have been all for 'Lovecraftian France Singularity, due to Goertia's intervention', but this is fine too.

**Orleans is still titled 'Hunting Ground of the Alien Sea Monster' in this fic, so keep an eye on that ;)**

I'm in no hurry to see more Re Zero characters (they'll arrive when they need to), so for me at least, I'm interested to see how Subaru develops as a Master compared to Ritsuka.

**Lol Reid's here now.**

At the very least, when his Foreigner nature is fully revealed, that will be a fun thing indeed. Likewise, by the time he hits Babylonia, he is going to be ready to bitch slap canon away soooo hard. I also think that on a Temple of Time level, Subaru would also have some interesting interaction with the False Solomon. His interaction with death especially. At the very least, if Solomon has a similar interest in Subaru as he does to Mash, that would be interesting...

**Solomon is _very _secret for now.**

_Deadsori said:_

_W8 doesn't the past servants from previous franchises should only have a faint recollection of past events not goal recollection_

**In other fate works yes, but less so in FGO. It's complicated, but Mordred implies in London that she remembers most of Trifas iirc.**

_mikelz0426 said:_

_That last line is giving me flashbacks of the Blue Shell when playing Super Smash._

**For me tarrasque gives flashbacks to Mariokart Double Dash, where Bowser and Bowser Jr. have a unique item that only they can get, a 'Bowser Shell' that functions basically like a green shell, but far bigger. Good times.**


	36. Chapter 35

**35: Dragon Sword**

* * *

The shockwave when Reid launches himself into the oncoming army of wyverns nearly knocks me off of my feet. Three swipes of his blade, quick as lightning and gleaming as bright, wipe out the first five of the dragons with ease. Then, as gravity finally starts to take hold, he anchors his sword firmly in the gut of a wyvern, hanging from the creature as it tries to keep itself aloft.

Using only the absurd strength of his right arm, the Stick Swinger catapults himself further into the air. For a brief instant, I see his sandaled feet make contact with the head of one of the still-living beasts, finding him a foothold amidst the swarm of leather-winged serpents.

And from there, his dance begins.

From dragon to dragon, the First Sword Saint jumps. Sword outstretched, a crimson ribbon trailing in his wake. He cleaves and butchers and maims, tearing through scales, claws, and teeth, as if they were all rice paper. Blood rains from the sky, along with entrails and organs, showering the flames of the forest-fire below with enough liquid to quench the flames.

It's absurd. It's patently ridiculous. There had to be a more optimal way to fight them. Something like this, where he bounces off their heads to gain altitude like a certain red plumber, is completely beyond the pale. This whole scenario feels more like something from an action schlock movie than something from real life.

"...Amazing! Senpai, who is this amazing person? He's fighting that whole army alone like it's nothing!" Mash exclaims.

"...Goddamn showoff." I mutter, rolling my eyes as I walk to where Mordred is sitting in order to apply much-needed healing magic to her leg. "Don't praise him for something stupid like this. Reid's got a trick that extends his sword's range anyway. He's probably just decided on a whim to give himself some extra challenge like 'kill every wyvern without touching the ground'. Honestly, this guy…"

The communicator on my wrist beeps, translucent blue hologram springing to life as the sleep-deprived face of Director Olga Marie Animusphere takes shape. She heaves a sigh that breaks off into a small fit of coughing, before continuing in a raspy voice. "S-so he's a friend of yours Natsuki? That's… a relief. There was a bit of panic on our end when we heard his class, but since the alien planet you visited seems like it was Earth-like for the most part we can probably push it aside for now."

"Oh, you're up already, Director?" I say with a smile.

"I wasn't sleeping! I wasn't sleeping! D-don't make fun of me, you bastard! I'll dock your pay! I'm the Director of Chaldea, so treat me with respect!" She screeches, sounding almost as if her voice box is tearing.

"Well, it's not like I joined for the money in the first place…" I mutter scratching my head. "Still, to answer your question… yeah, he's from the Other World, but I wouldn't say he's a friend or anything. Heck, if he thinks he can get away with it, he might kill me for… being ugly, or something? I can't remember the exact excuse."

Exact terms aside, I still don't know whether the reason he was disgusted enough to kill me was something to do with my innate nature, or if it was about the nonsense Louis was pulling at the time. Deep down, I want to believe it was the latter, but…

"Ugh, so not only do you summon a damn [Foreigner], but it's also one you have a bad history with!? Idiot! I figured out our broadcast wasn't reaching you, but you ought to have known even without me telling you that you shouldn't have thrown in those sketchy lines near the end of the summoning chant!" She groans.

"...That's confirmation, then. Since command didn't tell me to stop, I assumed it was an Astromancy thing. But if you say you _were _telling me to stop, and it was just that I couldn't hear you…" I turn to Prelati with a sigh. "I think I'm getting the hang of how you work, so let's hear your strangely reasonable excuse for this."

"Haha! You know, a proper Mage would have killed me by this point. You're a Hero to your core, huh? Well, it's not like I dislike that. In fact, I like that quite a bit! That's right, that's right, stay a Hero. I love Heroes the most." He winks at me, ever-present smile growing a bit disconcerting.

"That's nice and all, but it's not the requested reasonable explanation. I'll punch you, you damn brat." I deadpan.

"Right, right… Well, my thought process went something like:" He holds up a finger, acting as if he's about to give a serious lecture - and then, suddenly the Alchemist throws his arms wide with a laugh. "Wouldn't it be fuuuun?~"

My fist lands on the top of his head.

"Ow! Okay, okay, there's a reasonable explanation!" He says. "Look, getting a bunch of legendary heroes to fight against human history is really hard - they're heroes, after all. So our enemy altered their spirit origins and slapped Madness Enhancement onto the lot of them. Make them crazy, make them strong, make them destroy the word. With me so far?"

"...Sure." I sigh.

"Well! You may not be aware of this, but thanks to the writings of a certain _coward_," he spits with a brief scowl that soon returns to his usual manic grin, "-a lot of Foreigners have been given domain over Madness. So I figured, if we can count on the Planet to give us someone aligned with our goal saving humanity, then why not tweak the ritual and force the summoning of a Foreigner to gain a conceptual advantage over our enemy?"

"Ugh, it's not like I can fault his reasoning…" Olga says. "Poor communication aside, rigging the system like that is a pretty clever move… Except, how did you know a Foreigner would appear? As far as I know, this is the first confirmation that they even _have _Spirit Origins, let alone summoning them from the Throne of Heroes."

"Hm? Well, I didn't know if a true Foreigner-class Servant would show up, but as for aliens being spiritual entities, that's-"

He's interrupted as Reid lands, knees bent, a few feet away.

"There. How's that, you? Didn't even touch the ground once." He says.

I sigh. "I was thinking you were going to do something cool since you had actually drawn your sword this time, but in the end you just goofed around like always. I guess it'd be hard to use an impaled dragon as a handhold if you were using chopsticks, but…"

"Huh? Course I could do it, you. I can do anything. Just didn't want to, see? Cuttin' fools down with chopsticks is one thing, but stabbin' stuff with em… that's for little kids, you. 'S bad manners, stabbin' with chopsticks." He explains in his usual condescending manner. "In any case… Hey, you. Hottie with the shield, I'm talkin' to ya."

"E-eh!?" Mash says, blushing and pointing to herself. "U-um, are you talking-?"

"Course I'm talkin' to ya, you. Who the hell else would I be talkin' to, you?" Reid rolls his eyes. "Get over here so I can touch your tits, you. Got a good five minutes til' that big one gets here, so hurry up."

"Eh." Mash does her best impression of a deer in the headlights of a car. "Um, did you just say-?"

"Said I wanna touch your boobs, you. Come here so I can do it."

"Oi, leave her alone, bastard!" Mordred calls out from her seat leaning against the boulder in the clearing's center. "Who the hell taught you to talk to girls?"

"Huh? I'll get to you later, you. Just wait your turn, armor girl." He says.

"Who the hell are you calling a girl!?" she protests.

"What, want me to make you a-?" He begins to say yet another unforgivably crude line, only to get interrupted.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!"

With a fierce roar, the remaining burned-out trees on the north side of the clearing are uprooted and sent scattering around from the sheer force of the dragon's arrival. I barely dive to the ground in time to avoid having my head smashed off.

The Evil Dragon Fafnir smashes into the ground like a meteor, the green symbol on its chest burning like an alien star. Dirt and stone sprays through the air, and the hurricane conjured from its impact tears at my skin.

Blue flame smolders in his jaws, and then pours forth with such speed and force that it more closely resembles a laser beam than a jet of flame. And as the fire shoots from his jaws-!

"The hell's that supposed to be, you?"

Reid's blade flashes in a bright arc, blue glinting off his steel. An impossible strike, so perfect that I feel as though my sense of sight will be cleft from my brain. A blow that cleaves space and time, creating a black void in its wake that swallows up Fafnir's fire breath as if it never existed.

"What's with that, you?" Reid scoffs, approaching the Dragon. "Makin' fun of me, you? Don't wear costumes on the battlefield, you."

A claw falls on him like the hammer of a god, and his blade crashes against it, like an impossible bladed anvil.

"Uh, mister Stick Swinger! His scales make him pretty much invincible, so-!" Prelati starts to advise.

"Huh!? This crap, some kind of invincible armor? What, you stupid as well as ugly, you?" He scowls in response as his blade wipes another gout of flame from existence. "Just gotta cut the armor off, dumbass. In other words..."

He grins, tearing the eyepatch from his eye.

"_Take that stupid thing off, you."_

His sword slides effortlessly through Fafnir, and the Evil Dragon shatters.

* * *

Fafnir melts - scales, flesh and bone, sliding off, transforming into gold coins and gemstones.

The Evil Dragon disintegrates into a hill of treasure, and at the peak of that mountain of gold, a short, fat, balding man with a beard stands stark naked, in total shock.

"He severed the curse!?" Prelati exclaims. "That's…!"

That's right. It was mentioned before. The Evil Dragon Fafnir had once been a normal Dwarf, whose phenomenal greed had transformed his body into that of a dragon. But for Reid, who was able to sever the connection of my Cor Leonis back in the Watchtower, something like that must have been easy pickings, huh?

"The hell's this, you? Wearing money as armor, is that some kind of stupid metaphor, you?" Reid says with a laugh, picking up a handful of coins and letting them pour out of his fingers.

"You… don't touch.. my goooold!" The Dwarf howls, coins flying to his limbs, becoming scales and muscle once more. He scrambles towards Reid, fire pouring from his jaws, and-!

A splatter of red dye covers the pile of coins.

"That's just gross, you. Put some damn clothes on before running at a guy, you. You'll make people twitchy otherwise, you." Reid mutters to the corpse.

Slowly, as the wind blows, corpse and gold alike slowly dissolve into blackish-purple powder.

"Eh? The money disappeared too?" Mordred mutters. "What happened to 'you can't take it with you', huh?"

I chuckle. "Well, with the big threat out of the way-"

"Nah, that ain't it, you. The big one… just got here, young fish." Reid mutters.

"What do you-?" I start.

"This reading-!" Olga yells. "Enemy Servant, two kilometers out!"

Red and black bolts of light - no, arrows! - tear through what's left of the northern treeline, and once more I find myself thrown by Mordred so I can land and take cover behind Mash's shield.

Light as though hundreds of stars are being born fills the clearing as the Stick Swinger's weapon clashes with the onslaught of projectiles. At some point, reid starts laughing like a maniac.

"What's this! What's this, what's this, what's this! Who the hell is this guy!? Gettin' fired up here, you! Better be as good with a blade as you are with a bow, you! Hurry up and run out of arrows so we can fight like men, you!"

The arrows suddenly stop.

In the distance, I hear a faint response, a cry of pure agonized rage.

"**Aaaarrrhhhhhh!**" increasing in volume. Growing closer, and closer, until-!

A hole in space breaches the smoke and flames surrounding us. A hole in space, in the vague shape of a human form. A slanted red line glowing where his eyes should be, barely visible through the black fog pouring from his form. And gripped in each hand, covered in a spiderweb of glowing red lines-!

"Are those _cannons!?_" I shriek.

"**Aaaahhhhhhh!**" Roars the monster that I can only assume to be a Berserker, and hell takes shape in what remains of the once-tranquil forest clearing.

* * *

**Class: Foreigner (Stick Swinger)**

**Alternate Classes: Rider, Assassin, Alter-Ego**

**True Name: Roy Alphard (Reid Astrea)**

**Alignment: Chaotic Evil (Chaotic Good)**

**Armament: Knives, Claws (Chopsticks, Sword)**

**Manifestation Cost: Medium (High)**

**Bio:**

The eldest Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, from another world. Embodying the concept of [Bizarre Eating], he rampaged across the nation of Lugnica, devouring the [Name] and [Memories] of anyone he encountered, with no particular objective or pattern.

...Of course, with all that being said, Roy Alphard is basically irrelevant here. Shortly before his death, he ate the [Memories] of Lugnica's oldest hero, Reid Astrea. Perhaps Reid's memories proved to be too potent for Roy, or perhaps Roy's already mixed-up and fractured psyche finally reached the limit of how many lives it could hold - regardless of the cause, the result was that Roy lost his existence, and Reid returned to the world of the living for a time.

...On an unrelated note, Reid's parameters are lower than those familiar with his exploits might expect; in short, this is because he's not manifesting as 'the Servant Reid Astrea', he's manifesting as 'the Servant Roy Alphard, imitating the Human Reid Astrea'.

**Parameters**

Strength: D+ (B)

Endurance: D (B)

Agility: B++ (A)

Mana: E (B)

Luck: E (EX)

NP: EX

**Class Skills:**

_Existence Outside the Domain: B_

_Riding (Mabeast): - (Sealed by Solar Eclipse, usually A rank)_

**Personal Skills:**

**Affection of the Witch: C**

Roy is tainted by the Witch of Envy's Miasma. Most animals and people with good senses will find him repulsive, and some may even attack on sight.

**Leaper's Technique: B**

The talent of the 'Leaper', Dorekell, acquired through the Authority of Gluttony. Of course, it has manifested as a skill here, a testament to just how much Roy and Lye made this ability their own. Even if a certain Hero of Earth were to steal his Noble Phantasm, Roy would still have access to this skill, albeit at diminished rank.

Allows the user to boost his speed to a ridiculous degree, to the point that he seems to be teleporting around the battlefield. Fundamentally, it's a similar, but not identical, technique to the [Reduced Earth] skill held by Okita Souji.

(It goes without saying, Reid will probably never use this skill.)

**Palm of the Fist King: B**

The technique of the gladiator Neiji Rockheart, acquired through the Authority of Gluttony. As with the [Leaper's Technique], frequent use has allowed this to manifest as a skill.

Greatly increases unarmed combat skills, culminating in Neiji's crowning achievement, a palm strike that bypasses mana-based defenses entirely. A blow that he was only able to use once, in his clash with Lye Batenkaitos, one minute and twelve seconds before he was devoured by Louis Arneb.

It was but a single step. A mere glimpse of a divine martial art, a technique that would require [No Second Strike]. But such a dream will probably be forever beyond Neiji's grasp…

(Again, Reid will probably never use this skill.)

**(Emptiness: B)**

Not a skill held by Roy, but a Personal skill of Reid, acquired through [Solar Eclipse]. Should the Eclipse end, this skill will be lost.

* * *

**Noble Phantasms:**

**?**

Rank: A

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 1-200

Maximum number of targets: ?

?

**Gluttonous All-Devouring Serpent: Gluttony**

Rank: EX

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1

Maximum number of targets: 1 Person

The Authority of Gluttony, as wielded by Roy Alphard. By touching the target with his left hand and reciting their full name given at birth, Roy can devour their [Name], [Memories], or both. Giving an incorrect name will instead cause violent illness that, against any serious opponent, will probably prove fatal.

Those who have their Memories eaten will obviously become amnesiacs, and those who have their names devoured will be forgotten by the world around them. Those who have both consumed will fall into a coma and become impossible to rouse.

(Since he thinks it's gross, Reid will not willingly use this ability.)

Names and memories devoured by [Gluttony] can be used in a variety of ways by Foreigner. Technically, all of these uses are the same Noble Phantasm as [Gluttony], similar to [Gae Bolg]'s two uses, or [God Force]'s five forms. - but Roy thinks of them as separate Noble Phantasms, so they've been listed as such for the sake of convenience.

**The Serpent Devours the Moon: Lunar Eclipse**

Rank: -

Type: Varies

Range: Varies

Maximum number of targets: Varies

A Sub-Phantasm of [Gluttony]

Roy can utilize the abilities of those he or his siblings have devoured using this Noble Phantasm. This includes techniques, personal skills, and even some Noble Phantasms. Spirit-bound Weapons (I.E. Rem's Flail) are also fair game.

(Reid has access to this, but beyond using it to conjure up the sword of some random schmuck, he probably won't use it much.)

**The Serpent Devours the Sun: Solar Eclipse**

Rank: -

Type: Anti-Unit (Self)

Range: -

Maximum number of targets: 1 Person

A Sub-Phantasm of [Gluttony].

Roy can take on the form of anyone he or his siblings have devoured using this Noble Phantasm. This allows him to utilize abilities that may be impossible with only [Lunar Eclipse] - things like Siegfried's [Armor of Fafnir] or Heracles' [God Hand], that is, abilities bound to the body itself.

Of course, depending on the ego of the person he's taking the form of, there is a significant risk of Roy losing his existence.

(When summoned as a Foreigner, this Noble Phantasm is always active, trapping Roy in the form of Reid Astrea.)

**?**

Rank: -

Type: Anti-Existence (Self)

Range: -

Maximum number of targets: 1 Person

A Sub-Phantasm of [Gluttony].

?

* * *

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the wait. Classes have started up again for me, which means I've been busy and sleep-deprived. Also Reid is hard to write and I'm not sure I did him quite right. Still, gonna aim for Monday for the next one.**

**Lancelot doesn't get a jet in Medieval France, because that's stupid. He gets cannons though. Those have been invented by 1430s France.**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

_IHev9Sun said:_

_I went and read the Re zero wiki page for Reid. Holy...fuck. Jalter is soo fucked._

**Well, that's assuming he doesn't kill Subaru for no good reason again, so who knows lol.**

_Schwarzer said:_

_Ah, the chopstick swinger is here and here I am hoping for Beako to come home or at least Shaula._

**Beatrice will, without a doubt, make an appearance eventually. But for now... Wait, and Hope.**

_Crown of Reaper said:_

_Gluttony. Out of all the sins that Barusu could get, he summoned fuckin gluttony. I'm not sure how to feel about this. At least he's a dragon slayer._

**Well, (Roy) Reid is preferable to the rest, since Reid is a bit less awful. **

_Will he summon any of the Witches in the future? I can just imagine if he summons Satella, not the witch but the shy one._

**He read their books in Taygeta, so they've been recorded in the throne.**

_Also, please no bunnies. Please._

**No comment.**

_Fatts said:_

_Well boredom, and depression, and wonder hit me, ran at a track, with corona is still , agin lets go_

_Before that_

_Dude I think you should take a break, covod is here, and you should not try too do too much though then again your word count is not impressive_

**I feel worse when I don't write, so I'm gonna try to keep pace best I can.**

_As said:_

_Why is Subaru's alignment chaotic evil_

**Part of it is chaldea's system detecting Satella. Another part of it is related to Subaru's mindset at the time - Zelretch just told him to go to chaldea to get back to Lugnica. As far as he knew, he was about to abandon earth to [Apocalypse Conflagration], and he had no real other option. So yeah, he was feeling kinda evil at the time. Usually he's Chaotic Good, though.**

_Guest said:_

_Lack of detail. That's what come to mind, it can also be your strong point by going forward. So be you. Try a goal like, by September 19, 2020, I will have done thirty seven chapters of work. Or something. Quick question. How does Subaru feel about the world of nasu, with overpowered grail summoned sabers. Along with magic in his world. By the way why does the counterforce not sod something, Mordred is indeed similar to him. Considering their stories, the issue they struggled with it's not unlike them to be similar._

**Yeah I'm not great at fleshing out the background environment things take place in. Got a nasty case of white room syndrome.**

**Subaru's first thoughts on the Nasuverse: "Wait, Earth was actually an Urban Fantasy setting!? Since when!?"**

_Guest said:_

_I liked the chapter. As a side note, Future Xorn forgot to add the answers of the reviews of Chapter 32 on the previous update._

**Oops. Well, I'll get to it eventually.**


	37. Chapter 36

**36: Black Knight Blitz**

* * *

What's happening? What's happening? I can't see - there's black metal in front of my face. I can't hear anything other than a high-pitched ringing.

I'm on the ground. How did I end up on the ground? The black shifts away from in front of my face - ah, so it was Mash's shield. Looking at it now, it seems she tackled me to the ground. That's good. I might have died otherwise.

Even as I stand up, I can't make out what's happening - the air is so full of dust and ash that all I can see is faint sparks here and there, accompanied by the distant noise of metal clashing against metal.

"...pai! ...still… afe…!" Mash yells as she grabs me by the shoulder and drags me behind her shield. I mutter out a quick apology as I squint through the cloud of dust to try and find our other allies, and figure out where that Berserker is.

"**...Uuuur!**" a garbled voice screams, and the dust cloud is blown away in a burst of sheer force as the Berserker swings one of the cannons he was wielding earlier, smashing it into the ground.

A wet slap echoes accompanies the cratering thud as red liquid sprays out of the crumpled mass of metal and meat beneath his improvised club, painting the earth bright crimson.

"Ah." I mutter numbly.

Frantically, my eyes scan the clearing. From the roots of a tree lying on its side to my right, just a little behind Mash and myself, I see a faint fog of blackish-purple dust - falling off of a discarded mass of meat and guts tangled up in it - at the top I can see a mop of white and red hair.

"Aaah."

We didn't have anyone like that with us. We didn't have anyone with white and red hair in our group.

And where Reid had been standing when the Berserker arrived, just ahead of us and to the right, in the center of the crater from his opening salvo… there's a charred pile of flesh.

"Aaaah!" I yell, shaking my head. Damn it! Goddammit, I can't pretend I don't know what's going on here! I can't close my eyes to it! That's right, I know, I know okay! That meat pile is Reid, the mess hanging from those roots is Prelati, and that twisted mass of metal and meat at the center of the clearing is-!

"Hope… n't thinking you... just yet, you!" The First Sword Saint calls out as he cuts his way free of the charred flesh surrounding him in a spray of blood and strange black sludge.

...Ugh, somehow I still feel relieved, even though I hate the guy. Come to think of it, that meat pile _had _been a bit too big to match the rest of the pattern.

"**Aaaah!**" The humanoid shadow roars, tossing his cannon aside and taking up a sprinter's stance, his head twitching with madness.

"What… you? This thing… Daphne's [Black Serpent], you. Qualifies this brat… Rider class. ...nasty, but it works as a shield in a pinch." Reid says as the ringing in my ears finally dies down.

...The [Black Serpent]. One of the three great Witchbeasts created by the Witch of Gluttony, the only one of the three that I hadn't encountered until now. It was supposedly the worst of the three, so terrible that even the venom that leaked from its fangs had a hunger of its own and hunted prey as if it were alive.

I guess it makes some kind of twisted sense. Even if Roy Alphard didn't ride the thing in life, he was still plenty connected to it - Alphard is, after all, one of the stars in the [Hydra] constellation.

I'm brought back to reality as the black tar pooling around the serpent's corpse bubbles upwards, rising, the Witchbeast's venom seeking food to sate its hunger.

"None of that, you." Reid mutters, swiping his sword and wiping the creature's remnants from existence. I breathe a quick sigh of relief - I've been eaten by Daphne's kids enough for one lifetime, thanks.

"**AaaaAAAHHH!**"

My brief relief turns to panic as the Berserker suddenly shoots into action - rocketing straight past Mash and I, his clawed fingers digging into the fallen tree that Prelati's now-dissolved corpse had been hanging from.

Mash raises her shield, but he ignores us entirely, opting instead to charge down the sloping crater towards Reid, tree clasped in both hands, black and red lines swiftly covering its entire surface.

"...Hell's that supposed to be, you?" Reid says with a roll of his eyes, cleaving both the tree and the shadow covering it in twain, his blade gleaming with white light as it stretches a good ten meters to cut the whole thing. In a single upward strike, he annihilates the Berserker's weapon.

"Think you can intimidate me with size, you? Don't be so damn clumsy, you!" He roars, charging through the storm of leaves cast into the air by his strike, and towards the shadowy Berserker.

A shower of blood erupts from the swirl of leaves. Reid tumbles through them, his body a mangled mess, slashed to ribbons by _absolutely nothing_.

No. Not by nothing. By the _leaves_. Looking at them closely - the same black and red corruption that had been covering the tree, had reached the leaves as well.

"Gkh, you… not swinging the stick, but the leaves too, you…?" Reid mutters as he collapses.

"**Aaah.**" The shadow rumbles, drawing something from its waist - a musket, I realise, and now that I can see it, I can actually make out four or five more hanging off his belt. He points the gun at the Sword saint's head - he's going to execute him, I realize.

He's going to die. Reid Astrea was defeated in combat, by a cheap trick, and now he's going to die.

"[Minya]!" someone yells, and a flurry of purple spikes are launched at the Berserker, forcing him to dodge and turn his attention to his attacker.

"**AaaaAAAH!**" the Shadow yells, head twitching, as he turns to stare at me.

Ah. It was me. I fired that spell, without even realizing it. I saved Reid's life, as though he weren't someone who I've had only negative experiences with. As if he were my friend.

"Is this...goddammit. Is this you as well… Flugel?" I mutter.

Mash glances at me quizzically, but I don't have time to explain myself. The Berserker charges us, rapidly drawing and discharging four muskets with the speed of a modern semi automatic rifle, but Mash's shield catches each shot - and then he's upon us, clawed hands catching Mash's shield as she swings it at him, threatening to tear it from her grasp.

Now. It has to be now. While he stares deeply into her eyes, burning red slit boring into Mash's gaze as he slowly tilts his head.

Right now, while he's preoccupied-!

"[Invisible Providence]." I whisper, and slowly, my unseen hand creeps, through mash's shield, through the black fog surrounding him, through the black armor covering his body, through his ribcage, and-!

At the very moment I find his heart, he just happens to slide backwards. A loose pebble. A stroke of [Luck]. That's the only thing that saves his life, as my [Invisible Providence] crushes the center of his breastplate.

And then, his gaze snaps to me. His hand shoots out, and before I can dismiss my unseen hand, he grabs it by the wrist, red lines creeping over its surface.

And then he _tears,_ and all I can do is scream.

What is this what is this what is this.

It's like he unplugged a cork in my soul, and black bile is pouring out. It hurts, it's excruciating, what is this, how could he, how could this happen, in the face of my _diligence_, in the face of all the _effort, _of all that I've done to get here, how could he take it from me!?

"My brain… trembles…" The words tumble past my lips as tar fills my throat.

"Senpai!?" Mash yells, head whipping to stare at me, but that's a mistake, yes a mistake, truly, truly, truly, truly, truly, a mistake-!

Four black hands erupt from the Berserker, and cling to her, and then she's sailing away, thrown through the air, and there's no one between me and him.

"Ah, Mash Kyrielight. How… _slothful_ of you." I mutter deliriously as black smoke and tar pours from every orifice and my spine contorts and twists itself and the Berserker reaches for my neck and finally-!

[Love] envelops me.

* * *

**Wise Up! - [Black Serpent]**

**Black Serpent of Gluttony: Daphne Hydrae**

Rank: A

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 1-200

Maximum number of targets: 300 People.

The first of the Great Witchbeasts created by the Witch of Gluttony, Daphne. A phenomenally dangerous Phantasmal Beast that spewed all-devouring venom as it rampaged across the other world. It was the least controllable of the three, with only the [Witch of Vainglory] having any ability to manipulate it - and even her 'control' amounted to little more than "drop it in a place you want destroyed."

Since Roy had ties to the thing, metaphysically speaking, it has manifested as a Noble Phantasm that qualifies him for the Rider class. But in life he never rode upon the Black Serpent, and so his ability to control it is tenuous at best.

Incidentally, Reid can only control it for a few seconds during its initial summoning, after which it's turned loose - so he just uses it as an improvised shield.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

_Misaka Phenex said:_

_hmm why don't subarun have his weapon...wiki told me about it...yes_

**He left it at home, unfortunately.**

_Firetrail said:_

_I can you imagine what Subaru's reaction would be if he summons Rem. Actually what would his reaction be? Tears or laughter or something else?_

**Why not all three?**

Crown of Reaper said:

You know what would be cool? A Subaru from an IF story appeared in a Singularity. For example, Pride!Subaru appearing as an Assassin or Wrath!Subaru appearing as a Berzerker.

***Villainous laughter***

_D. said:_

_A powerful ally, but one who may or may not just kill Subaru if it comes down to it. Not is his luck the worst. But hey, at least they got a ally who just killed Fafnir...poor Siegfried, will he have his time to shine in this story since someone else did his job?_

**Siegfried will have his chance to shine.**

_Yikes said:_

_Sorry if you already answered this but if subaru summons Subaru and the summoned Subaru dies what happens does time rest or keep going and will Subaru remember if the timeline dose reset_

**That's likely to be a plot point later, so I'm gonna stay quiet about it.**


	38. Chapter 37

**37: Thinking is nice.**

* * *

I gag and choke as salt water fills my mouth and nostrils - here again!? Why here, Satella? Why not the clearing from earlier, or Ahab's boat!?

Ugh, do I just wait until I pass out again? According to what Prelati said on the boat, that should float me to the surface. But then, there's no guarantee that they'll find me floating around up there. And it certainly didn't look like Prelati's scheme to get Ahab to kill Fafnir was going to pan out in the first place - both the old captain and myself were half melted by the time I popped this fake Reality Marble.

...Well, I might be making a biased call, since the alternative involves nearly drowning, but I'm going to make the call to end this stupid ocean adventure early.

"[E-M-T]!" I yell, command spell blazing - and in a ten meter sphere around me, the water vanishes, my feet landing with a soft crunch upon fresh green grass. It's not necessary to keep the negation effect up for long - already, the disruption of Francois Prelati's fake Reality Marble has spread a good two meters beyond the boundary of my spell. Punching a tiny hole in his [Grand Illusion] was all that was necessary from me; the planet will take care of the rest.

If my understanding of that whole [World Egg Theory] thing is correct - and that's a pretty big 'if' - this kind of trick wouldn't work against a true Reality Marble. But since Prelati's more or less directly assaulting the Planet with his illusion... that more adversarial nature probably makes this black sea far more vulnerable to disruption. Probably.

And so, not five minutes later, the hellish dark ocean disappears entirely.

* * *

I find myself finally able to breathe easily, standing beneath a clear blue sky. Rolling hills of gently swaying grass stretch on far into the horizon - save for a few trees dotting the plains, and a small village several kilometers away, there doesn't appear to be much out here. No sign of dragons or sea monsters.

Behind me, I can hear Mordred coughing and sputtering, spitting out water, and to my left, Mash leans on her shield, panting heavily. Near her feet, Fou kicks the ground angrily, shaking his fur - come to think of it, he disappeared at some point during the last loop, probably when Prelati teleported us. I doubt he stood much of a chance against the Wyverns, so that's another failure to add to the list, I guess.

"What… was that?" Mash mutters, and before I can respond, a hologram of the director pops in to ask the same question.

"We completely lost your signal for a few seconds there! What happened!?"

I sigh. "We got unlucky with our landing zone - got trapped in a fake Reality Marble for a little bit there."

"A fake Reality Marble? Senpai, what exactly…?" Mash starts.

"Ugh, I've got a bunch of information now about what's going on in this singularity, but I haven't had much time to think about it. Can you give me a few minutes to get everything straight?" I reply, rubbing my temples. "Like before, I can't tell you how I know it, though…"

"Ugh, I was hoping it would be limited to the Fuyuki mess, but this is going to be a pattern, huh?" Olga says, heaving a sigh.

"Sorry, but my hands are kind of tied. Anyway, while I think, we can head towards… that village, I guess."

* * *

...Rather than starting at the beginning, it might be best to start at the end. I need to figure it out, since that could very easily be the biggest problem I'm facing. Namely, what the hell was that, at the end there? It felt like… Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti. It felt like the time I was possessed by that guy, the Archbishop of Sloth.

Ugh. Even now, that bastard's causing problems for me, huh?

He should be dead. He's definitely dead, and yet…

Let's backtrack. Why did he start invading my thoughts in the first place? It had to be because that Berserker tore out my [Invisible Providence]. Leaving aside the obvious 'how the fuck?' there, the fact remains that he stole my authority of Sloth, and as a result, Petelgeuse started leaking into my mind.

But that doesn't make any sense. If he's tearing my [Sloth] out of my body, why would I feel _more _like Petelgeuse?

...

This isn't the first time I've heard the voice of a dead Archbishop in my head. Back in Fuyuki, Louis showed up. And beneath the Watchtower, too, I think I heard Sloth and Greed. It's obviously got something to do with the [Witch Factors], but…

Dammit, I should have asked Beatrice more about how they worked. But I put it off, because I didn't want to think about it, and now… well, it's far too late.

In any case, it's just circumstantial evidence, but the best bet seems to be that the Witch Factors keep some kind of record of their prior holders - or maybe the Archbishops' souls were absorbed alongside their abilities. There's no real difference either way. Those guys were headed for Hell anyway, so if the Hell they get to suffer is my life, I'm fine with that too.

So, when that Berserker tore out my Authority, it might have been like tearing the faucet off of a sink - only [Sloth] sprays everywhere, instead of water. Or maybe he tore out the whole Witch Factor, and Petelgeuse left a bunch of gunk behind in my soul on his way out.

"...Either way, it's an important reminder, I guess." I mutter with a sigh. The Witch Factors can't be trusted. My Authorities are not my friends. They are not good for me. They're something to use when things are at their most desperate, and nothing more.

* * *

Next up is… Prelati, I guess.

Francois Prelati. A Cleric, an Alchemist, and an Illusionist. He's useful. Without a doubt, he's useful to have around, to the point that his sheer utility can't be understated. What's more, as far as I can tell, we only got the bare minimum information out of him regarding the nature of this Singularity.

It's not like another Caster Servant would be a bad thing to have back at Chaldea. Yeah, from an objective standpoint, finding Prelati and teaming up with him again is the right move.

However.

However, his personality is completely rotten! He seems like he's made it his life's mission to piss people off! He's the type of guy who finds the line he's not supposed to cross, crosses it, and then jumps back to the side he's supposed to be on just so he can cross the line an additional time for good measure!

Sure, the results of his compulsive lying turned out well enough for us, but since there was a perfectly sound rationalization for it anyway, he should have just started with that, instead of tricking us into doing the correct thing. Not to mention his tendency to needle people, to get under their skin and twist the knife. He was mostly targeting Mordred, but I'm sure that's just because he hadn't figured out enough about me or Mash yet.

Yeah, there's no way we can work with him long-term. Maybe someone like Flat or El-Melloi could manage him as a servant, but there's no way I could. He reminds me of someone - several someones, really. I couldn't place it earlier, but thanks to the unfortunate reminder of Petelgeuse's existence, I figured it out - deeds aside, Francois Prelati has a personality suited for a Sin Archbishop.

* * *

Speaking of Prelati's deceptions, I should think about that trick he pulled during the summoning ritual.

"[Foreigner-class], huh...?" I mutter.

To start with, I only have an extremely rudimentary knowledge of what a Foreigner-class Spirit Origin actually means. From what little of my memories survived my life in Atlas, I know those guys were pretty spooked by the concept. I remember Flat mentioning Foreigner at one point before the professor cut him off and yelled at him for going off topic. And I know that Zelretch warned me about them; that my very connection to Satella was liable to get me labeled a [Threat to Humanity].

...Ugh, from all that, I guess rather than being pissed Reid showed up, I should be thankful that it wasn't the Witch of Envy.

Speaking of which, Reid Astrea. What the hell was he doing here? I was under the impression that the Throne of Heroes only recorded people from Earth! Obviously, that's why he was summoned in a class reserved for aliens, but that doesn't answer what he was doing on the Throne in the first place.

...Well, he wasn't Reid, though. He was Roy Alphard, who lost his existence to Reid Astrea during that mess at the Watchtower. That's important to remember. No, that's definitely the answer to a lot of questions.

If I expand off that guess earlier that Witch Factors keep a record of prior holders, then it makes some sense for Roy Alphard to be recorded as part of the Human Order - he got copied from my soul.

Which probably means that the other archbishops I killed have a chance of showing up as well. And possibly even the Witches who had the authorities before them.

"Summoning a Foreigner is a 'no', then." I mumble under my breath. We got seriously lucky last loop! If Daphne showed up and started adding Mabeasts to this mess, I might cry!

The fact that he was actually Roy Alphard is probably why he lost, too. Reid was already stupidly fast in life; as a Servant he should have been fast enough to cut the rest of the leaves out of the air when the first one pierced his skin. But since he was just Roy Alphard imitating the memories of the human Reid Astrea using Solar Eclipse, he didn't get the bonus of Reid's legend.

And so, that Berserker was able to defeat him.

* * *

...That's the last question, I guess. What was going on with that Berserker?

I couldn't see what he looked like. I couldn't see anything about him, other than that black fog surrounding him, and that glowing red line on his face - but I felt a metal chestplate when I missed his heart with [Invisible Providence], so… that red line could have been a visor slit.

"...A Black Knight, then?" I sigh. "And those cannons…?"

He discarded them, after firing. In that case… is it some kind of trick where he can empower things he touches? Everything he grabbed turned black with glowy red lines - all the way down to the leaves on the uprooted tree he used against Reid.

Can he just… use anything he grabs as his Noble Phantasm?

That would explain the cannons and muskets, I guess. To start with, it's not like medieval cannons have triggers or anything. It would probably be a nightmare to fire them dual-wielded like that, unless he had some way of igniting the cannon's fuse without touching it. And it explains how fucking _leaves _were able to kill Reid Astrea.

They weren't just leaves; they were a Noble Phantasm, with all that implies.

But still, an improvised weapons master, huh? Or at least, someone who could 'master any weapon'.

"The first to come to mind is Benkei, I guess..?" I mumble. The man was literally called Oniwakamaru, which means Oni child, when he was growing up, so the Berserker class is an obvious fit. And considering the fact that he and Yoshitsune used disguises while on the run, something that hides his appearance probably isn't too far afield…

If his glowing red visor was a Western-style helmet, that would be a point against the theory, but it's not like steel plate helmets are _rare _in Medieval France. It would be easier to confirm one way or another if I knew how tall he was, but that fog even made his height difficult to perceive.

"I think I've put together as much as I can right now…" I say aloud with a sigh, tapping the communicator on my wrist so that the Director appears once again. "Alright, I'll try and summarize everything I know, so everybody listen up."

* * *

**A/N:**

**A bit late, sorry. Next chapter is aiming for next Monday, because I've got a busy week unfortunately.**

**Incidentally, Subaru mentions El-Melloi, he's talking about Reines, not Waver. Case Files is pre-5th war (which is in 2004), and FGO is in 2015, so she's probably got the El-Melloi title by this point barring shenanigans.**

* * *

**Review responses:**

_pokemonrot377 said:_

_Is Subaru in your fic the reincarnation of Flügel?_

**There's at least a connection there. Frankly, with all the stuff in arc 6 it might as well be confirmed in canon, so I'm comfortable going with it.**

Crown of Reaper said:

Did Lancelot just weaponized the Unseen Hands? How!? He sees the hands as a weapon!? He can't see them!

**Because ARTHUUUUR, that's why. Also, Witch Factors trade hands naturally in canon, so snagging them directly from the user is within Lancelot's abilities. Benkei and Alcides could probably do it too. He knew where the hand was because of the hand size-d hole in his armor and the floating mass of metal right in front of said hole.**

Subaru acted like Betelguese. That's bad. Will he stay crazy in the next loop? I guess I'll find out next chapter.

**He's fine.**

Also, is it just me or is Subaru starting to return Satella's feelings? Cause a few chapters ago he technically described Satella as the perfect form of beauty.

**No that's emilia :P**

_L33t Horo said:_

_NGL, the story felt a bit jumbled up here_

**Yeah last chapter was confusing. Hopefully this one helps a bit.**

_The Indominator said:_

_Oh hella, last chapter I assumed the Sub and gang encountered a beefed up Napoleon with the whole canon thing, but now I understand. That's Lancelot ain't it, almost forgot he's in Orleans._

**ARTHUUUUUUR!**

_Makes fat lot of help that he seems to be even more angery than usual here, the knight that basically brought down his liege's entire kingdom is right there after all. Usual Lancelot might not be so salty at Mordred, but Berserkerlot might be a whole different story._

**AAAAAAARRRRTHHHUUUURR!**

_Glad to see him having his moment to shine against even Reid thanks to his utter and complete bullcrap broken knight of owner skill. I enjoy the heart throbbing of this chapter immensely._

**AAAAHHHTHAAAA!**

_Also, I take it that Lancelot can steal Invisible Providence because in his basic hulk smash mind it has mass so it's "Good enough" as a weapon he can use?_

**Witch factors get passed from person to person on death anyway. So yeah, Berserkalot and those with similar abilities can theoretically yeet them.**

_Taromaru said:_

_Sorry to sound redundant if this has already been brought up, but how high is the probability that Subaru may end up summoning Echidna or any of the other Witches (sans Pandora) as Caster? Or given his ambiguous connection to Flugel, could Shaula also be summoned? _

**They'd be Foreigners since they're aliens. That aside, the witches are less likely than the archbishops. Well, if they show up, they show up.**

**Shaula cannot be summoned by Subaru.**


	39. Chapter 38

**38: Try looking up every now and then.**

* * *

"...And that's about everything." I conclude. Well, I left out the stuff about Reid and Petelgeuse, but they won't be showing up if I can help it.

"Ugh…" The Director massages the bridge of her nose. "Obvious questions that you can't answer aside, it's not like we can complain about free information. But how much of it are you actually sure of? You seemed a bit uncertain at some points of your explanation."

That's right. After all, considering how many lies the boy told us, it wouldn't be strange for a considerable portion of the information given to us by Prelati to be falsehood. In fact, in the worst case, we might have had friend and foe mixed up entirely.

No, in the _true _worst case, it's possible we never escaped his [Grand Illusion] in the first place. But doubting literally everything I see is a path to madness, so I'll have to ignore that possibility for now.

"...That's a good question. I'm at least certain that the Dragons and Servants I described the appearances of are present, but beyond that, it's possible I was deceived." I sigh. "And like I said, it's not like I can be certain that I've got the right True Names for any of them. Ahab doesn't seem like the type to pull tricks like lying about his True Name, and the Tarasque - assuming it really _is_ the Tarasque - is a pretty dead giveaway, but as for the rest…"

"...Right. You already said this 'Francois Prelati' was deceitful by nature, and the idea that this Black Knight is Musashibou Benkei seems like little more than blind speculation." She says with a sigh. "For now, we'll look to corroborate your information once you arrive in Domremy - that's the village you're approaching, by the way. The birthplace of Jeanne d'Arc."

"...Well, if nothing else they might have info on the whole 'fake Jeanne d'Arc' thing." I mutter.

"Speaking of information, Senpai…" Mash interjects. "Um, I didn't bring it up earlier because I figured you might be about to tell us about it anyway, but you didn't say anything about it…"

"Ah, did I miss something? I guess I wasn't super thorough in my explanation…" I apologize.

"Um, it's just… you didn't mention _that _at all." She says, and somewhat shakily points towards the sky. My eyes follow her movement, and-

What.

What the hell is that?

How did I not see this thing last time!?

No, to be fair, we didn't exactly spend that much time under the open sky last time - I didn't have much of a chance last time.

But as for _this _time, there's basically no excuse. I should have noticed it the moment we exited Prelati's Grand Illusion.

I'd heard before, that humans were bad at noticing danger above them, that we just didn't look up very often - I'd experienced it, in fact. Every time I die is disorienting, but categorically, death from above is generally the most confusing way to die that doesn't involve brain damage.

Yeah, humans don't look up very often. Especially in a wide open field, with no shadow cast upon us, there was no need to look up. The only thing in the sky should have been the sun.

Indeed, when the only thing in the sky is a bright object casting light upon you, there's no need to look at it. You _shouldn't _look at it, because it's the sun.

It's the sun. The big light in the sky would naturally be the sun. That was the assumption.

Except, the sun wasn't there. There was no sun in the sky of this singularity. There was only-

"A ring... of light?" I ask. No, it might be more accurate to describe it as a hole in the sky, encircled by light. An image similar to a solar eclipse, but without the accompanying darkness.

"What are you- oh God." the Director says, eyes widening. "W-what the hell!? Natsuki, how the hell did you fail to mention that!? It's got to be at least the size of the United States! And these energy readings… The closest thing I can think of is the output of Excalibur back in Fuyuki, and even that might be too little!"

"...Do you think it might be the Holy Grail?" I ask. "Because I'm not sure how we could retrieve something like that…"

"...No. That… that thing is giving off more energy than a Holy Grail!"

"I thought the Grail had infinite mana! How the hell do you get more energy than that!?" Mordred interjects.

"...It's got a bigger throughput. If the Holy Grail is like a water faucet attached to a reservoir of infinite mana, then this is like a fire hose." Olga replies quietly, her eyes still wide and trained upon the ring of light in the sky. "But _why? _Even if you get more mana to work with this way, what could you possibly _need _that much mana for? Or maybe the question is _how_? Because a normal Grail gets its mana from leylines, but pulling that much energy from the planet would have already turned France into a wasteland…"

"Well, if it's something that ridiculous, it's not like we can do much to stop it…" I mumble. "I guess we just ignore it and hope we don't get lasered from orbit."

"...You're probably right, but it's kind of upsetting how calm you're being about potential orbital bombardment." she sighs.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, we arrive at Domremy. The place is pretty nondescript - smaller than the Arlam Village back home, and obviously less wealthy. Arlam could afford to have glass in some of its windows, whereas Domremy's houses have only holes in the walls with wooden latches bolted over them.

Still, all told, it's a pretty generic Medieval European village, I guess. At this time of day, people would naturally be out working the fields. Which, naturally, begs the question...

"Where...are all the people?" I ask, as ice cold hands grip my insides.

* * *

"...At the very least, there's no sign of a struggle." I mutter as I examine the interior of a small one-room dwelling - but a certain haunting memory causes me to reassess that observation. "No, a mere lack of bloodstains and corpses is no guarantee. I'm well aware of that."

"...Senpai?" Mash asks, turning to look at me, but not yet lowering her shield. She had demanded to take point, and it's not like I could deny such an earnest request. Also, she has a shield, so honestly it just makes sense.

"Sorry. Just thinking aloud." I reply, taking a deep breath to steady myself. The Great Rabbit doesn't exist anymore. I know that. That self-replicating army of tiny Witchbeasts which devoured every part of its prey, to the point that not even a drop of blood remained spilled across the snowy village that night - that monster, was already long gone.

"But this scenario… is just too damn-!"

"Master! I found something!" Mordred yells from a few houses down the road, interrupting my traumatic flashback.

I take another deep breath, and with Mash by my side, we head to one of the local farmhouses.

* * *

"Mordred, I'm here with Senpai! Where are you?" Mash calls out.

"Out back! Just come around and hop the fence!" The knight calls out, pausing for a second. "...Though, you're gonna want to get your stomach ready. It's not a pretty sight."

Out of place. That's my first thought. This kind of sight, is completely out of place here. This quaint, peaceful, idyllic town. In the middle of a plain of bright green grass, under a bright, cloudless sky, with a gently blowing breeze.

Even now, I can smell the faint scent of flowers and freshly trod grass - but by this point, that's long been drowned out by the stench of iron and feces.

A pile of meat. There's a pile of meat, in the center of this farmyard.

A tower of blood, skin, flesh, and offal. Constructed there, Piled up, intentionally, _intelligently, _as if in mockery of the very idea of common decency.

I feel a warm, wet texture on my fingertips and palms as the nails of my clenched fists accidentally break the skin. Behind me, I can hear Mash retching.

"...Master, you can relax." Mordred says, and before I can open my mouth to shout at her, she continues. "I know it's tough for you to tell, but none of these bodies are human."

"...You're sure?" I whisper, not daring to believe it.

"Yeah. Look, these bones are too big for a human. The damn wyverns tore them up real well, but you can see little patches of cow hide." She says. "If they had any human parts in here, they'd make sure we could see them."

"...Thank goodness." I mutter as my muscles go slack with relief. "But… would Wyverns really make something this horrible?"

"Yeah. Wyverns like to make piles like this - get a big mass of animal bones and scatter some parts of the one human they ever managed to kill on top, or do the same with a pile of farmyard tools and a sword or two." Mordred says. "It's an intimidation tactic - to fool cowardly knights into thinking they're a real dragon and not just a jumped-up snake with wings."

"A-ah, did you fight a lot of wyverns when you were alive?" Mash asks - still a bit pale, but not actively doubled over anymore.

"A few. Father and his other knights had already gotten most of the big dragons by the time I signed up. I had to find _some _way to match up, so I went and tracked down a few Wyverns." She shrugs. "They're not all that clever, but they're fast and hard to hit - really, a Wyvern's not that much worse than a [Vorpal Bunny]."

…I must have heard wrong.

"...Vorpal Bunny?" Mash asks.

"What, you've never heard of the Vorpal Bunny?" Mordred says with a laugh. "Man, Bors would pitch a fit if he heard that the future generations forgot those things existed."

...I heard correctly!?

"Eh, Master, you're looking a bit pale there. You ok?"

"It's fine, I'm just about to pass out whilst foaming at the mouth, is all." I force out. "More importantly, where do you suppose the towsfolk have gotten off to, Mordred?"

"No, Senpai, passing out while foaming at the mouth is definitely a big problem!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**The Vorpal Bunny is just an inside joke among the KotR, according to Tristan.**

**But then Vorpal Bunnies actually show up in Fate/Labyrinth... Manaka makes a stew out of them. So who fucking knows at this point. Goddamn deep joke lore.**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

_D. said_

_Well this was a good info dump, with Subaru analyzing everything he needs to know. And Round 2 is at play as he faces Berserker. Oh ma, Mordrded will be messed up a bit is she realizes who that is._

_In fact, did Lancelot purposely turn Modred to a pile of metal and meat BECAUSE of what she did in her life? Also, another question if you don't mind, but is Waver living a good life since he lost his El Melloi title and is living with Grey?_

**Well, at first he mistook her for Arthur. Because he's crazy. But then he thought, 'there's no way arthur would lose to me, guess i'll kill this fake'.**

**Waver's doing fine. He's still teaching, he's just not a Lord anymore.**

_mikelz0426 said:_

_Is it within Lancelot's bullshizzery to be able to steal other Witch Factors? If yes to all of them then scream like Eric Bloodaxe, if yes but not all tell me which ones aside from Witches Hand. If no then tell my why(ain't nothin' but a heartache)._

**Theoretically, he can grab any Witch Factor; but he's gotta find a way to grasp it first, so...**

_IHev9Sun said:_

_Oh boy, I just realized something. When Barusu meets Kiyohime, are we going to have a repeat of what he went through with Rem?_

_Will Kiyohime distrust Barusu for his smell and kill him on sight, only for Barusu to end up wooing her by the third time she's killed him?_

_Speaking of yanderes, can Return by Death be affected by Ereshkigal? If it can, how will the Witch of Envy retaliate?_

**Not entirely sure what I'm gonna be doing with Kiyo or Eresh yet...**

_Boyzilla said:_

_Phew, this chapter helped clear up the mess of the last loop. Maybe less crazy this time, Subaru...? Who am I kidding, something crazy is going to happen anyway!_

**Glad that it helped. I realized a lot of people were sorta lost, so I figured a recap-type chapter was warranted.**


	40. Chapter 39

**39: Just because it isn't permanent...**

* * *

"So the villagers have fled, huh…?" The Director mutters as we exit down the well-trodden path that the Domremy Villagers clearly left by. "The closest easily defensible location during that period is probably the Vaucouleurs commune to the north, so I'd assume that's where they're headed. It may not be a proper castle, but it's got stone buildings, so it would probably make a good foundation for a fort."

"...The direction seems to line up with the tracks leaving town, but it's nice to have a name for the place they were headed." I reply. "For the record, Mordred said they can't have left more than a day ago, and the wyverns probably only hit this place within the last couple hours, judging from the freshness of the animal bodies here. If we're fast, we can probably catch up with them, so-"

"If the villagers _are _headed to Vaucouleurs, catching up is basically irrelevant. It's only a four hour walk to reach it in the first place." She interrupts. "But if they're being pursued by Wyverns, then aiming to catch up with them may not be such a good idea. No, actually, that's an understatement. Let me make it clear - with what we currently know, heading to Vaucouleurs is a pointless, suicidal idea."

...She's right, of course. I hadn't wanted to think about it that way, but now that she points it out, I've got to acknowledge that a scenario like this is technically to our benefit. Any wyverns pursuing the helpless French peasantry are wyverns not pursuing our group. What's more, if last time was anything to go off of, any significant encounter with the enemy seems liable to lead to a steady dogpile of more and more foes crawling out of the woodwork - Tarasque leads to wyverns, which lead to Fafnir, which leads to maybe-Benkei, and we all die horribly again.

However…

"Sorry, but my 'hard men making hard choices' character arc was scrapped. Too much overlap with that Fuyuki Archer." I reply with a shrug. "It can't be helped, we'll just have to fight an army of Wyverns. As long as Mordred can handle around thirty, I think Mash and I can deal with the leftovers. I don't think that they've got the strength to smash stone walls, so we should be able to get a good defensive position."

"Are you nuts!? Just listen to yourself talk! Thirty-!?" The director yells.

"...Senpai said it in a pretty amazing way, but I don't actually disagree." Mash says. "That pile in the farmyard… I don't think I want to let a bunch of civilians end up like that. Um, actually, it's like something inside me is screaming, that I can't let something like that come to pass."

"Yeah, it'd be hard to sleep at night if we let a bunch of civilians get killed when we could've stopped it." Mordred says. "Like I said, wyverns aren't that much worse that vorpal bunnies, so they should be easy if we've got a decent way to not get surrounded - like a stone building."

"Compare it to an animal I actually know about, not some mysterious rabbit! I mean, you said it's a bunny so the assumption is that it's not dangerous, but - actually, Natsuki, you keep giving ridiculous full body shudders every time it comes up, so clearly it's a problem!" The director yells.

"Ah, no, this is just some deep rooted trauma that's only related to me, so don't mind it." I say with a thin smile. Honestly, if Reid could deal with that swarm using that stupid method last time around, odds are Mordred can manage it. "As long as we don't take any crippling injuries before- woah, let's not go raising any flags."

"Ugh, don't you get that it's pointless!?" The Director snaps. "The people of that village, and every other person you'll meet in that singularity- they're already dead!"

I blink. "That's…" Well, I know what she means. We're in the 1400s after all. Everyone here is long dead. "But even so, letting those lives be cut short-"

"-Doesn't matter. As long as the grail is recovered, all changes to the timeline will be reverted. You understand that, right?" She asks. "Every atrocity, every heroic act, and everything in between - all of that is going to disappear with the singularity. It's all going to be erased."

I know that. I already know that. I understand it completely. This time period will vanish, so any action that doesn't bring us closer to our goal is a frivolity. From a detached, emotionless perspective, it's a mistake.

"But even if it's a mistake, it's something I've got to do. Sorry, but that's also a conclusion I reached a long time ago." A melancholy smile graces my lips. That's right. I have to believe that my actions have consequence. Because, even if the evidence vanishes from the world, the record of my actions will remain carved upon my heart.

That's just how it is. Above all, Natsuki Subaru must not be allowed to believe that events that are erased can be forgiven.

"...I'll become something unsightly, otherwise." I conclude, aware as always of the three coiling black _somethings _hidden within my soul.

There's a pause in the conversation as everyone stares at me for a few seconds - shit, I said something a bit strange there, huh? Quickly, I open my mouth to explain it away-

"Fou!" - dark grey toe beans press against my cheek. "Fou kyu!"

"O-oi, when did you climb up there?" I ask the white squirrel-dog on my shoulder.

"Oh! That's the sixth of Fou-kun's forty-seven secret moves, the super stealth shoulder scramble!" Mash says excitedly.

"Oh, that's right." I nod. "I remember that from the Fuyuki briefing!"

"As if something like that made it into my speech!" Olga yells. "I already know you weren't paying attention back then, so don't try to save face now!"

"It's a secret attack that lets Fou-kun climb someone's shoulder without being noticed at all!" Mash continues.

"No, if the secret move's name is that clear, the explanation is just redundant..." I mutter.

"Fou, oufoufou!" The mysterious animal in question says, lifting his nose in the air.

"Why the hell does he seem so smug…?" Mordred mumbles.

"That's actually Fou-kun's second secret move, emotional resonance!" Mash says. "It lets him convey his emotions even though his face never noticeably changes!"

"I know I'm not one to talk, but you really get excited about the strangest things, Mash-tan…"

The shielder's face turns bright red as she suddenly becomes self-conscious. "Um, that's…"

A strange, almost bird-like cry interrupts her as a shadow passes across the ring of light in the sky.

...Wow, there sure are a lot of them up there, huh?

"Shit, our scanners missed them since they were so far up!" The director says. "But now that we've noticed them, I'm detecting ten, twenty… at least fifty flying enemies approaching from your west!"

"Sorry, Mash! We're in the middle of talking but suddenly wyverns!" I yell as the three of us break out into a run. "If we hurry, we can reach Vaucouleurs before they catch us, so-!"

"-Hang on tight, then!" Mordred shouts as she scoops me up under her left arm and tosses Mash over her shoulder. "Mash, astralize your shield! Master, get a good grip on Ca- Fou!"

""Right!""

Mordred's feet explode in a pulse of red lighting, and from there the true terror begins.

"AAAHHHHH!" "We're gonna diiiieeee!" Mash and I scream, clinging to the Saber for dear life.

"Oh come on, it's not like I'm going to drop you…" Mordred grouses.

* * *

**A/N:**

**"Sorry, Mash! We're in the middle of talking but suddenly wyverns!" - is, of course, a callback/call forward to a line from the Olympus Lostbelt.**

**This one took a while but it is what it is. Not super satisfied with how it turned out, but not every chapter can be a big wow chapter. Next chapter is probably no earlier than next Friday.**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

_Guest said:_

_Xorn, I don't get it would something like caster dio Michael look alike as a servent work. If he was summoned as a caster in his first life if possible would he have future memory. And since the sword saints are pretty much guaranteed, how would that work, since their legends are kind of tied, sorry for bad English, fate is not a franchise I am good with_

**Not entirely clear on who's being referred to... But in general, the Throne of Heroes exists outside of time, so a servant can be summoned from the future - Archer in Fate/Stay Night is from the future, he SHOULD have memories of the future. However, Garcher _says _he doesn't remember pretty much any of his past, and it's not really clear to me how much of that is from his time as a Counter Guardian, how much is because of his botched summoning, how much is from the Grail or the world messing with his memories, and how much is just him lying.**

_reydrago said:_

_And I'm surprised that Satella is count as VII not III in lugunica, seriously...she's as bad as Kiara and Mara_

**Dodging the rest of your questions since they're kinda spoilery.**

**She's a love maniac, but her sin is still envy, so realistically she should probably be IV - remember, IV is "Comparison", which encompasses disparity and envy. But she might also be VII, since she's the worst beast of Lugnica.**

_Slackboy101 said:_

_Fuckin Berserkalot is hilariously broken when he doesn't have a master that blows up if he goes full Sicko Mode and i love him for it, image how Subaru would flip if he busted out the MP5, the 50. Cal or the Jet_

**Like I said, Lancelot's probably not gonna pull any super high tech weapons in Orleans, because him having them makes no sense. Well, there's always Accel Zero Order.**


	41. Chapter 40

**40: Vaucouleurs**

* * *

After a few seconds, my heart stops pounding and I calm down. Even though the danger of this situation hasn't decreased, my body has grown used to the ridiculous speed we're moving at, even as the French countryside flies past in a green and blue blur. Mash has calmed down a bit as well, from what I can see of her - though her face is still pale. Well, she's less used to this kind of thing than I am, so that's to be expected.

"Honestly, it's a bit annoying how much I've gotten used to this…" I mutter. Getting carried around like this... it was embarrassing when Rem did it, it was embarrassing when Ram did it, it was embarrassing when Garfiel did it… but it doesn't feel like I'm being emasculated anymore, which is arguably worse. "Getting carried around like a sack of potatoes isn't something I wanna get used to, dammit!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll give you a proper princess carry next time." Mordred snarks. "We're getting close, though, so get ready."

Looking ahead, I can see our destination, rapidly growing from a spot on the horizon to a full blown wooden wall, behind which the stone steeple of a church can be seen peeking out - that'll be the commune, I guess.

I nod. "Got i-aaaaHHH!" My affirmative response is cut off by a scream as she suddenly leaps a good ten feet into the air, catapulting us over the hastily erected wooden wall, and into the Vaucouluers fort.

There's a brief pause as the soldiers around us stare at the armored knight who just landed in their midst - broken when one of them finally starts yelling.

"Ah-Ahhh! They're here! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The crack of muskets discharging and the scent of gunpowder fills the air as a dozen or so bullets bounce harmlessly off Mordred's armor, even as she deposits Mash and I onto the ground unceremoniously.

"Huh!? Do I look like a damned winged lizard to you idiots? More importantly, the hell were you guys thinking, building a fort with no roof against flying enemies? Hurry up and-" She cuts herself off as a shadow flits across the ring of light replacing the sun - and then another, and another. The french soldiers scream and backpedal as bolts of red energy erupt from the knight's body, and - "[Azoth Blood Arthur]!"

A crimson beam extends from her blade, and dragging it through the air, she scrapes four wyverns out of the sky - but more and more begin to circle overhead, and slowly the swarm of leathery wings begins to blot out the sun.

"Just hurry up and get everyone into the church! As long as I'm here, they won't make it through the door!" She calls out.

"...There's no more room." Says a scruffy looking blond man - who, now that I look at him, isn't actually wearing armor, but rather outfitted with an iron pot on his head and an old pitchfork in his hand. "Do you think we didn't try that? Fighting behind wooden walls like this is obviously stupid, but we ran out of room in the church. We've crammed as many women and children into it, but…"

Looking around, I can still see a number of noncombatants sitting despondently against the church's walls - the elderly, beggars, and a few men and women in traveling clothes. All the people who were most 'expendable'. And even among the 'soldiers' a good half dozen are obviously just villagers outfitted with farming implements, the youngest among them no older than thirteen.

"...Shit." I mutter, standing up. They're going to die. They're all going to die. Everyone outside of the church is going to be butchered, I'm almost sure of it. They might as well be defenseless, apart from the dozen or so muskets that I see among the few real soldiers, and two cannons posted at the edge of the fort, hastily being aimed skyward. Everyone else here might as well be unarmed, if the wyverns are as fast as I remember - melee weapons just won't cut it.

"...I could try to position Lord Chaldeas above us…?" Mash suggests.

"...That's no good. It would only hold them off for a bit longer, and run you out of mana." I bite out. What do I do? What the hell do I do? My jaw clenches, my teeth grind, and my gut churns.

Yeah, now's the time. Now that I'm backed into a corner, just maybe, it'll work. Desperately, I focus on that squirming black _something _in my soul, and pull.

"-[Lunar Eclipse]."

…

…As expected, nothing happened. Goddammit. Well, it was worth a shot.

I'll survive this. I know I'll survive this, with Mash protecting me - but all these people are going to die, and there's no possible way for me to save them.

Thunder rips through the air as the cannons fire, two iron balls arcing into the sky towards the swarm of dragons - but one with red scales dives out of the pack, and easily batters the shots away with a couple slaps from its talons. A strange hissing laughter echoes down on us.

Then, like a meteor shower, the whole pack plunges towards us as one.

A few more swipes from the Azoth Longsword dispatch about ten more before they can reach us, and one more cannon shot manages to bring down a small looking green-scaled beast - but then they're upon us, and Hell truly arrives at the Vaucouleurs fort.

* * *

"Senpai!"

Mash tackles me to the ground, shielding the both of us - and I can't see anything else through the storm of leathery wings and claws.

Well, that's a lie. I can still catch the occasional glimpse of the hell around us, of death and violence. To the left, the scruffy blond man's scalp slides off his skull as razor winds lacerate his head. To the right, the teenage boy I had seen is carried off into the sky, dangling by his leg, only for the Wyvern's claws to snip it off at the knee and let the rest of him plummet to the ground far below. Behind us, a glimpse of an old woman staring at the intestines spilling into her hands.

Mash's eyes flit from sight to sight, hell searing itself into her retinas. Her breath hitches, and slowly, I see panic start to well up in her.

And then a red wyvern slams into Mash's shield, its wings fillingour vision and obscuring all else as it tries to tear the weapon from her hands.

But still, I can hear every scream, above the gnashing teeth and swirling winds.

"I don't want to die!" "Mother! Mother!" "God, why? Please, God, forgive us!"

Until, a voice cuts through the cacophony.

"Stand and fight!"

The wyvern attacking Mash goes limp as a metal pole smashes into its head and breaks every bone therein. A second later, an armored boot kicks the thing off of her.

"Stand and fight, men of France! We defeated the English, will mere lizards get the better of you? They are but animals; kill a third of them and the rest will flee!" She calls out, even as she spears another Wyvern on her polearm. Long, braided blonde hair flutters behind her, and even as blood sprays into the air from the dying wyvern, not a drop of it dares to land upon her.

"Spearmen, aim for the eyes! Guns, archers, target their wings! Artillery, use grapeshot, you buffoons! And fear not, for God has not yet abandoned the people of France! [Luminosité… Eternelle]!"

She plants the end of her pole in the ground, and golden light spills from the banner at its end as it unfurls, a ring of golden light slowly growing outwards around her, as the injuries of everyone in its vicinity seal shut, and the wyvern's claws fail to pierce their skin any longer.

Slowly, inexorably, the tide of battle begins to shift. A spear through the eyes dispatches one. Another one is battered down by Mash's shield, now that this woman's Noble Phantasm is here to protect me in her stead. Clusters of fist-sized cannonballs tear a few of them out of the sky. Blasts of crimson light from Mordred, still going strong, cut down another five or so. I almost get into it enough to carelessly fire off a Minya or two, but I manage to restrain myself - I may need those spellcasts if things suddenly flip on us again.

Through it all, murmurs grow.

"Jeanne!" It's Jeanne!" "Jeanne has returned, like they said!" "But she's still on our side!" "Of course, this is our Jeanne we're talking about! How could that girl possibly turn evil?"

Until finally, _finally_, the Wyverns start to turn tail and flee.

"See, the beasts are routing! But don't let up! Shoot them down to the best of your ability! Each one that escapes is a threat to your countrymen! Kill as many as you can!" Jeanne d'Arc yells.

And so, there's a last salvo of musket fire, with bow and cannon fire continuing for a time after that - even as the fort's defenders cheer and hug one another, glad to be alive.

I can relate to that.

* * *

**A/N: Me, two weeks ago:**

**"****Next chapter is probably no earlier than next Friday."**

**Did I say next Friday? Cuz I apparently meant the Friday after that. Sorry guys. I'd like to say I've been busy, but that'd be a lie. I was just... slothful, is all.**

**Anyway, Luminosite eternelle heals wounds in this chapter when it's not clear whether its supposed to do that lorewise... it does have a turn-based heal in-game, though, so I'm just gonna have it do that. To be clear a whole buncha people did still die, both those outside of the flag's range and those who were already too wounded.**

**Speaking of range, what exactly is '10' range? Is that ten meters? Ten kilometers? Ten Sabers lined up on the ground?**

**See you next week hopefully.**


	42. Chapter 41

**41: Anger/Anger**

* * *

Once upon a time, the City of Lyon was saved.

In the year 1643, the city was struck by the Black Death, and its people prayed for salvation. Soon enough, the plague passed, and to celebrate their salvation, the Municipal Authorities paid tribute to the virgin Mary. And every year thereafter, they would give offerings in remembrance.

I had actually heard of this story even before ascending to the Throne. It was quite famous, after all - but in this singularity, it is 1431, so such an event has not yet taken place. The Salvation of Lyon is still a long way away, and as I watch the town burn and crumble, I can't help but wonder if it will come at all.

"-Kuhaha!" Bitter laughter escapes my lips as I smile at the irony. "In the end, it all comes back to 'Wait and Hope' again, then! Just make it to 1643, and you'll all be saved, right?"

...In any case, I came here for a reason, so I might as well head over to take care of it. Cloak billowing, I stalk through the smoldering city streets, the black flames licking at my heels.

* * *

Eventually, I reach it. A small, unassuming house just like all the others. But I can already sense the Servant hiding in the cellar, so I can pick it out with ease. If I hadn't been sent here, he may have got away with it, but…

"...My so-called master can sense the status of all summoned servants, so it can't be helped. Curse your bad fortune, Dragonslayer. You were doomed from the start, even with that _Saint's _intervention." -Muttering such cruel words, I slip into the house.

The interior is a scene from hell. An old man is against the wall, a broken sword clutched in one hand, but his other hand and both legs are strewn across the room. His wife, meanwhile, has been painted across the kitchen table, where her blood has mixed with the liquid dripping from a young man pinned to the ceiling by one of Berserk Lancer's spears.

I burn the sights into my brain, searing the record of every atrocity into my heart. "...But the time isn't right. My so called master still has yet to reach maturity. And so, until the end of all this, I will carry your hate. For now… wait and hope."

The corpses smolder and burn. The tortured souls of the vengeful dead cry out, and the black flame billowing around me grows just a bit more. Idly, I slip the old man's broken sword into my belt, since I have a use for it. Letting out a small laugh, I kick open the cellar door and descend into the bowels of the Earth.

At the bottom of the stairs there is a cupboard. A little to the right, just slightly out of sight. The perfect place for an ambush - but I can sense Saber deeper within the cellar, so it would be natural to disregard it.

-_a young girl bursts from the cupboard, and, with a cry of fury, drives Saber's blade into my back. I allow the attack to hit, out of respect for her spirit.-_

[Oblivion Correction] - one of the innate skills of my class. A true Avenger never forgets when he is wronged. In a place like a Singularity, where time is not stable, and the past doubles back on itself, it can take the form of premonitions - visions of a future that once was. Or perhaps it's simply my own status as one who can slip beyond the shackles of time.

Regardless, I slip the broken blade across the handles of the cupboard door. An instant later, she slams against the doors, attempting to break free and strike me down, but to no avail. Screams and sobs issue forth in short order, but I pay little attention.

"Kuhaha! You would have succeeded, had fate not sided against you. Now, as for you, Dragonslayer - Sigurd, was it?" The Saber materializes in response to my demands - what's left of him anyway. His torso resembles a crushed juice box, and his entire body is spiderwebbed with black lines - curses, from his clash with my 'master'. But even still, the emblem on his exposed chest glows brightly, and he stands proud in response to my question.

"-that's correct. And you?"

"Berserk Avenger. The King of the Cavern." Of course, the Berserk part isn't actually accurate. Mad Enhancement doesn't really 'stick' to Avengers, because of [Oblivion Correction]. But lying to fit in with my 'allies' is fine. In any case-

In a burst of flame, slipping beyond time and space, I move to tear Sigurd's heart from his chest.

Only to bruise my fingers as my knife-shaped hand fails to penetrate his bare skin. Tch. So not Sigurd, but Siegfried - I guess I walked into that.

Before I can jump back, his left hand grabs my head, and smashes my face into his right knee, breaking my nose, teeth, and jaw - and then his left foot smashes into the side of my head, dashing me against the stone wall of the cellar - cheekbone, left shoulder, and three ribs, all shatter. My right eye is juiced like a ripe grape.

As I fall to the ground, his armored boot plunges towards my neck - but I barely roll out of the way, and before he can try again- "[Enfer Château d'If]!" I slip beyond the shackles of time and space, stumbling out the front door of the house.

My flames sputter, my form starts to break down- "Not yet, not yet-! [Attendre, Espérer]."

My body melts into golden mist, reforming itself anew - all my injuries heal, and my Spirit Origin pulses as my Parameters receive a rank-up from the Noble Phantasm's activation. "Kuhaha! Once more, then - I follow a path beyond love and hate! [Enfer Château d'If]!"

I pass into the house - now almost entirely up in flames - and intercept Siegfried as he exits the cellar in pursuit of me. He's retrieved his blade from the cupboard, but it won't save him from my strongest Noble Phantasm.

From his point of view, it must be as though I've multiplied - but all of my copies are but afterimages, and even as they release gouts of black flame at him, even as he cuts the curses out of the air -

My true body pops into existence behind him, and my right hand, coated in claws of black flame, punctures the weak spot on his back, and clutching his beating heart-!

There's a flicker of motion, and suddenly he's facing me, and only detonating my right arm in a storm of black flame saves me from his counterattack.

He jumps back as well, the cursed fire coating him already extinguished.

"...So this is the [Disengage] skill. I'll need to prepare something to counter it next time." I mutter.

"-Next time, you say." The remainder of my right arm is severed as I dodge his strike. "I'm sorry, but I won't allow that to happen."

"No, I'm already free - [Enfer Château d'If]!" - and with that, I land in the castle of Orleans, breathing heavily.

* * *

My so-called master growls at my return. "He's still alive."

"Obviously. You overestimated how much his injuries would slow him down." I reply, eyes narrowing. "Or was the 'he' you were talking about just now not the Dragonslayer, but rather myself?"

"Oh, give it a rest." Jeanne d'Arc sighs. "I've got enough stuff to deal with without your damn persecution complex."

"Yes! How dare you! How dare you besmirch the name of our great Dragon Witch, you filthy familiar-!" Berserk Caster shrieks. I ignore him, since he's worthless.

"-He was Siegfried, not Sigurd. You had to have seen that when you fought him, so why did you tell me the opposite?" I hiss. "I don't tolerate betrayal, my so-called master-!"

"Why would I remember one or the other? They don't matter. They're just obstacles. Obstacles to be burned-" She starts.

"No. No, you're doing it wrong, my so-called master. Slothfulness is unbecoming of a would-be Avenger. You must be meticulous. If you do not know everything about your target, your revenge will fail. If you don't prepare as much as possible, your revenge will fail." I rant, sparks spilling from my eyes.

"-Shut up, Count." She snarls, finally biting back. "It doesn't matter. France will be destroyed. I will destroy France, because that is why I exist. This mistake of a country, will burn and sink into the ocean."

Gilles gives his usual simpering encouragement, but I ignore him. How dull. This 'master', and the man puppeteering her, are far too dull. These subhuman existences aren't even worth casting into despair.

"-In any case, you have good timing, Count. A new servant has shown up, and I want to see her." Jeanne Alter says. "Lend me your Noble Phantasm, won't you?"

"...What did you just say?" I ask, eyes wide.

"Lend me your Noble Phantasm. I'll use a command spell if-" She snarls.

"Before that!" I start to smile.

"A new Servant appeared. I want to see her. What the hell is-?"

"Ha! Kuhahaha! -So you are capable of wanting something for yourself, my so-called master!" I laugh. "Thank goodness - I was worried you would remain stuck as a mere fallen saint forever."

"Shut up, or I'll kill you." She gives her usual empty snarl. "Let's go, then - they're moving towards La Charité. We'll intercept them there. Gilles, stay here, since you're useless without that tome."

He starts to say something, but I ignore him, scooping my 'master' up into my arms. Desperately, the flames of vengeance churn for release - but not yet. Not just yet. She'll be ready soon. Soon, my so-called master will grow beyond a mere humanoid wish. Soon, she'll have a human will.

And then, when she can finally understand the suffering inflicted upon her - only then, will I cast her into the fires of hell.

Until then, I will wait, and hope.

"[Enfer Château d'If]!"

* * *

**Oh hey Edmond how ya doin. I guess you're French too, so it makes sense for you to show up...**

**Yes, Edmond did remember the contents of the previous Subaru death loop's ambush. But he misidentified the cause as timey-wimey singularity bullshit, since that made more sense to him than 'some unrelated guy's in a death loop'.**

**Siegfried almost died this chapter, but A-rank disengage is bullshit.**

**Chapter name is, of course, after the Myth & Roid song of the same name.**

**Next chapter in a few days, hopefully**

**Also, Merry Christmas.**

* * *

**Omake:**

_-This is the story of something that never happened._

_To start with, there's no room for seasonal events in a story crawling by at a pace like this. And, furthermore, the tone is way off base, and the story includes several characters that have no business showing up this soon._

_But, with all that said, it's that magical time of year again, where Saint Nicholas (who famously cut down a Demonically Possessed Tree that was probably unrelated to a certain Dead Apostle) circles the globe and leaves presents for good girls and boys (much as he once left three bags of money so a poor man could afford the dowry for his daughters and not be forced to sell them into prostitution)._

_That's right. It's Christmas time. And as anyone who's familiar with FGO will tell you, that means it's time for me, the author, to violate all the traditions and magic of the holiday season, for the sake of comedy._

_Grab a glass of eggnog, huddle under a blanket, and relax, with this heartwarming(?) tale._

**The Santa who Judges the Sinners, Part 1**

* * *

"-ke up!"

Someone's shaking me awake… but it's cold, so I roll over and huddle beneath my covers, where everything is soft and warm.

"Baru, wake uuup!" she shouts again. "You're not Mama, so you can't just sleep all daaay!"

...I know this voice. A young girl, calling me by the last two syllables of my name. Yeah, this person is…

"Baru is being Slothful… Hm, then does that mean...?~" Typhon, the Witch of Pride, giggles menacingly. "Hey, Baru… are you a sinner?~"

"I'M AWAKE!" I scream, jumping out from beneath my blanket - and almost immediately, I regret it. "It's freezing! And it's windy! Hey, just what the he-eck is- wait, where am I? Are those clouds? Typhon, what is thiiiis!?"

"Heh, heh, heh! Don't worry, Baru! Typhon hasn't done anything unusual. This is just Typhon participating in Earth Culture! Come oon, don't you recognize it? Look at Typhon's costume, and the sleigh Finnie made for her!~" The Witch says cheerfully, and I poke my head out from under the blanket.

She's wearing a poofy red coat and cap, along with… is that a fake beard? Oh no. Oh no, no, no!

"You can't be serious." I mutter numbly.

"Wahaha! If an old man can do it, Typhon can do it!" She laughs, forcing an antler headband onto my head and pumping her arms into the air. "Come on, Baru! Let's judge the sinners!~ Presents for the good boys and girls! Punishment for the evil boys and girls!"

"No, that's not the point of the holiday at all-!" My attempt to reason with her is totally ignored.

"[White Whale, Compact Model] - descend!"

"Wait, we're riding what!?" I scream as the sleigh shudders and begins to spew fog.

"First stop, Clock Tower! Prepare for the judgement!"

"Oh my god, we're going to kill so many people…" I mutter in horror.

* * *

I find myself pitched forward in a tumble of limbs as we breach the Clock Tower walls. Oh God, look at that damage! Forget being worried for other people's lives, the only problem I need to think about now is how to survive Barthomeloi's wrath-!

Poor [White Whale Compact Model], on the other hand, is moaning in pain, with tears streaming from the sled-like creature's eyes. Ah, somehow, I can sense some kinship there.

-Typhon, seemingly unaware of my emotional pain and White Whale-kun's physical pain, pulls a long scroll from who knows where, and, giving a cute 'ahem!', begins to speak.

"Our first stop tonight is to visit little El Melloi, age 2!"

"Is it really okay to just blatantly steal someone else's joke like that!?"

"Hush, Baru! Reindeer don't talk!" She says, lightly kicking my shin. "-Little El's letter to Santa says:

'I just wanted a grand strategy game that lets me bring the Diadochi to heel and put my king's son on the throne. Was that too much to ask for? You promised that my choices would matter, but in the end, this is just a glorified dating simulator! I understand the need for marriage in political alliances, but you took it too far! I don't want to marry Princess Roxana, I just want to protect her son! And while we're on that, why is there no route that puts the poor boy on the throne? In summation, zero out of ten, give me more freedom, shitty devs!'"

"Isn't that obviously a videogame review, and not a Christmas wish!?" I blurt out. Naturally, Typhon ignores me completely, save for another light kick to my shin.

"The letter used a lot of made-up words Santa didn't understand, but she thinks she has a good present for him! So! Long haired old man, bring little El here, and let Santa Judge him!~"

The witch concludes her exclamation by pointing forward at - oh, I know this guy. He's definitely years younger, so all his hair hasn't gone grey yet, but…

"...I am Lord El-Melloi the second, yes." He says, taking a drag of his cigar and staring at the snow blowing in from the breached wall, slowly piling on his fine red carpet- eh, when did Professor Velvet start smoking? And he was the second El-Melloi? That's a twist.

He exhales and massages his brow. "Fuck. I can tell you're some kind of Servant, so the Santa setup is pointless. Cut it out already, and if you're gonna kill me, just get it over with. It's bad enough that you broke my wall and made me listen to that embarrassing screed from a month ago."

"E-eh!? But Typhon is Santa! Really, she is! Baru, you tell him!"

"Sorry, Reindeer can't talk."

"Ah, you're right!"

"Typhon, huh… The Father of Monsters, but you've taken on the form of a little girl. King Arthur was a woman, though, as was [Faker]… No, you're not that Typhon, are you? But the alternative is even more absurd - 42355 Typhon, a planet sharing its name with the mythical beast - if you were an Ultimate One, the Wizard Marshal would have already struck you down…" the Professor mutters, pacing back and forth.

"...Baru, he's saying we~ird stuff." Typhon says, tugging at my sleeve and looking up at me. "Typhon isn't a daddy, so what's he talking about, huh?"

"Ah, that's-" I start to respond, but the moment I meet the gaze she's directed at me-

Professor Velvet, whose movement I had harmlessly dismissed as 'pacing back and forth' - suddenly tosses his cigar to the ground, where it erupts in a plume of smoke, and takes off in a dead sprint out his study door, which he had managed to open while pacing without us noticing!

"Graaaaay!" - he yells the name of a color in desperation, which is never good news when Magi are concerned.

"Ah, Baru, he's running away! We've gotta catch him!" -with those words, Typhon latches firmly onto my back. "Forward, Reindeer! Santa commands you!"

"Nope. Not happening." I reply

"E-ehhh? But Baru, you gotta! How's El going to have a Merry Christmas if Santa doesn't judge his si~ns?" The little Witch whines, rocking back and forth to shake me from her piggyback position.

"No! Professor Velvet's a good person, so I'm not going to help you traumatize him! I refuse! In fact, we're leaving right this instant." Grabbing Typhon's legs to secure her in place, I start to climb back into the hideous horned sleigh we had arrived in.

"B-but! But if El isn't a sinner, then he doesn't need to be afraid at all!" She protests, forcing her way out of my grip - and then with the sound of glass breaking, she drops to the ground. "Santa's judgement doesn't hurt good people! Baru already knows that, riiight?"

"You just broke my arms off! Here you are saying all that, but you just broke my arms off because it was convenient!" I yell, pointing at her with my right stump. It doesn't hurt, and it can be easily fixed, but that's really not the point!

"That's just 'cause Baru's a dummy who's guilty about dumb stuff! Now wait here, Santa will fix you later!" She sticks her tongue out at me, and races off into the hall, with me hot on her heels.

"At least he got a head start, so he's probably long gone by now- or not!?" I yell upon seeing the professor doubled over, breathing heavily. Fifty meters!? He only made it fifty meters!?

"Now, let's see!~ El, are you a sinneeeer!" Typhon shouts as she launches into a flying tackle - and as she impacts him, Professor Waver Velvet breaks into a dozen separate pieces.

And then everyone starts screaming.

"Ahhh!" Typhon yells, clutching her bruised forehead. "Baru, he was weird like youuuu!"

"Ahhhh-!?" the Professor's head and upper torso scream in terrified confusion.

"Ahhhh!" I scream, completely mortified. Okay, it's fine, there's no blood, that means he hasn't been killed, he just felt guilty, I can still salvage this-!

"AAAAHHHH!" Screams a fourth person. "Teacher, you can't-! Ahhhh! Add-!"

The cage clutched in her hand bursts as a small silver cube floats to her hand - and from it, a voice emanates. "Pseudo-personality suspended. Mana yield exceeds regulation. Second stage restraint rescinded. Seal Thirteen… Decision, start!"

Something's familiar about this. I know, something's-

A blast of wind casts her hood off her face as she lifts her hand, blazing with golden light, revealing green eyes, grey hair, and- "What the hell, it's Arthur again!?" I blurt out.

"-Approved. Third Restraint removed." A shining golden cone of energy pours forth, and she begins to level it at Myself, Typhon, and the Professor's broken body

"[Rhongo-!" Ah, I'm going to die again.

"Wait, Lady, I'm still alive, and I'm going to be very cross if you wipe me out with that-!" The Professor all but screams.

"Ah, Sir-!" She exclaims, just barely tipping the spear into the sky as it fires, smashing a second hole in the clocktower building and arcing over the horizon, where it explodes in a fiery supernova so bright that for a moment it seems like day has suddenly returned all at once.

"Oohhh! That's really cool! Hey, is this that thing? You know, the shepherds looked up and saw a shining light, that thing?" Typhon asks the Professor, lifting his body to put him at eye level.

"It's not."

* * *

"-Heeey, Baru, help Santa put El back together! She can't give him his present if he's like this." Typhon says, holding up the Professor's torso and head in both hands - he looks so completely done with this, it's kind of hilarious.

"Help with what hands, Typhon!?" I yell, waving my stumps at her.

"Oh, that's right. Hey, hey, pretty-beam-Onee-chan, can you help Baru fix his hands, please? Santa will put you on the nice list, just this once! She won't even test you for sins!"

"I'm so confused right now…" Grey-haired-Arthur mumbles as the golden spear returns to a vaguely cubical shape.

"Eh? Hey, hey, hey, Gray, the hell's this!? Did you miss? How could you miss!? You even unsealed the entirety of Rhongowhatsit, and you missed them!?" The little box - [Logos React Replica], one of my scraps of memory from Atlas supplies - chatters crudely.

"Add, shut up." The Professor groans. "And so? Typhon, was it? -You're just going to put me back together again, just like that? Even though I failed your test?"

"Ehehe, that's funny, El! If you were a sinner, you'd be vomiting blood right now!~ You just broke 'cuz you were feeling guilty about dumb stuff that's not your fault." Typhon laughs off his concerns in her usual manner as she sticks his arms back onto his body. "There, now you can hold your present, so-!"

A ridiculously large bag materializes from nowhere, and Typhon reaches into it, pulling out - is that some kind of picture frame?

"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!"

"What do you-?" Professor Velvet's voice catches in his throat.

Slowly, trembling hands reach for the gift, as tears start to stream down his cheeks.

**[FGO Craft Essence: His Rightful Place]**

"Aw, does El not like it?" Typhon sighs, starting to put it away-

"No!" He snatches the photo and clutches it to his chest as if it were his firstborn child. "No, this is-! Truly, truly-!" He smiles, voice cracking.

"-The greatest Christmas Present I've ever received."

"But you're crying?" Typhon tilts her head.

"I am. Since, adults-" He sniffs. "Adults are stupid, so sometimes we cry when we're happy as well."

"Ehhh?~ That's pretty du~umb, El!" She replies. "Hey, Baru, does that mean, that time you were talking to Dona-?"

"I'm not answering that." I deadpan, as… Gray, I guess her name is? Gray retrieves my arms and reattaches them, a small smile on her face as she watches the Professor weeping with joy.

"Ah, you did it! Thanks, Onee-chan! Merry Christmas!" Typhon shouts as she thrusts another strange photo into Gray's hands.

**[FGO Craft Essence: Why Done It]**

Gray's face goes red, but I don't have time to ask, because Typhon suddenly grabs my wrist. "Come on, Baru! We're gonna be late! Santa's still gotta visit a bunch of places!"

"Nooo! I was hoping we would end on a high note-!" I yell as she drags me to the [White Whale Compact Model].

"Santa's work is never done, Baru! Neveeeer!"

"Lady, can you stop stealing glances at whatever she gave you and help me with my legs?"

"A-ah! Right! Of course, Sir! Sorry, Sir!"

"Heh. Merry Christmas, Gray."

"...Merry Christmas, Teacher."

* * *

**Review responses tomorrow, as it is late. Sorry this all took so long.**


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